WINTHROP — Several of the town’s public safety officers will deliver a presentation Thursday morning about how residents can help respond to the drug crisis that has been affecting the state and region.
“We need help,” said Chief Ryan Frost of the Winthrop Police Department, referring to the ability of citizens to either recognize criminal activity and alert police to it, or get their loved ones who use drugs to seek treatment.
While heroin has been an issue in Maine, Frost said he also worries about the illegal use of other drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.
Speaking at the Thursday event are Frost, Detective Peter Struck and Winthrop Ambulance Chief John Dovinsky. The event is part of a monthly breakfast discussion series offered by the Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. It will run from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at the Winthrop Commerce Center.
Admission to the event is $7 for chamber members and $10 for nonmembers. Attendees do not need to sign up ahead of time.
In a preview of the talk they will give Thursday, Frost said that Struck, who investigates many of the town’s drug cases, will inform citizens about the relationship between drug use and property crimes such as burglary. The officers will notify attendees how to recognize that someone could be using drugs and ask that they call the police department with any tips that could help them solve crimes.
They will also make attendees aware of the treatment options available to drug users. In general, Frost said, his department tries to steer drug users to treatment whenever possible.
As the director of an ambulance service that serves numerous area towns, Dovinsky has a particularly close view of the toll it takes, Frost pointed out.
While there have been overdoses in Winthrop this year and last year, Frost said that none have been fatal. He also said the town’s overdose rate has been steady for the last couple years, not accelerating.
Even so, Frost said of addiction, “It’s a struggle for families. It’s an alarming thing.”
For non-emergencies, the Winthrop Police Department can be reached at 377-2776.
For those who don’t want to share their identity, Frost also recommends the text message service “KVTip,” which is for Kennebec County residents who want to anonymously report illegal activity to law enforcement agencies. It can be reached by sending a text message to the six-digit phone number 274-637. Messages are diverted to a West Coast server before being encrypted and sent to local police departments.
Charles Eichacker — 621-5642
Twitter: @ceichacker
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