SHERIFF: Cameras, more Narcan needed for opioid epidemic

Residents at the NAACP Drug Dealing in Open-Air-Markets town hall forum on Monday said they are tired of seeing their neighborhoods overrun with drug dealers and people who experience drug overdoses.

NAACP leaders said the opioid epidemic’s affects on children lead them to host Monday night’s town hall, at the Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy, and the response was so positive they’re planning the next one.

“We’re all in this together, we have to work together, and come up with a solution,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer.

Plummer is looking to install cameras around Montgomery County to help with the problem.

“We’ve put into the state through the budget process to try to get cameras, you know we can put cameras up at hot spots watch it through dispatch, collect information on dealers, car information, license plates, you know people working behind the scenes,” he said.

On Monday, the county’s alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services said there is enough Narcan to last through the year. However Plummer disagreed and said it won’t last with the current rate of overdoses.

“ADAMHS was at the meeting where I got that information, and they said they had a $17,000 grant for Narcan, so at $50 a dose, you do the math at home and tell me how many doses we can get and we’re using up to 16 doses on one person at a time.”

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