Their message is clear: No More Meth.
Now a nine-member coalition represented by a variety of local agencies, including the police department, sheriff’s office, city and county officials, will fight the war on meth on all fronts. The coalition will address public safety, prevention, awareness, treatment and assess the impact meth is having on the community.
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It affects us all with the spin-off crimes it produces, from theft and child endangerment to violence. There were close to 150 meth arrests made last year in Montrose and even more if you include the related crimes.
I’s a growing epidemic in Montrose County that, if, left untreated, will surely get worse.
So it was encouraging to see a coalition formed to deal with the problem. It was also promising to see them not only deal with it closer to home, but on the West End as well.
But it’s not a battle the coalition can fight on its own. Community involvement is needed. Neighborhood involvement is needed.
As coalition member and Montrose City Councilman Jose Abeyta put it at Monday’s press conference: “We need eyes and ears and some sweat equity to make this happen.”
The key element to this fight will be that of concerned citizens so we encourage everyone to get involved at some level, either in the reporting of suspicious activity or volunteering to be a part of this coalition, working towards a meth-free Montrose County.
For more information on the coalition, see the accompanying box. For more information on meth and its impact, visit www.drugfree.org.
Coalition members:
Sgt. Paul Eller, 252-5200
Sheriff Rick Dunlap, 252-4023
Commissioner Allan Belt, 249-7755
Councilor Jos/ Abeyta, 249-8909
Police Chief Tom Chinn, 252-5200
Kaye Hotsenpiller 240-1082
Theresa Harris, 250-7414
Kristine Bagnara, 249-0709
Michael Gizzi, 248-1763
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