Sydney Holder
news@greenepublishing.com
Over rising concern regarding the methamphetamine epidemic, a coalition of 15 rural sheriffs from surrounding counties held a meeting with Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday, May 27. The sheriffs sought to express that incarceration is not a solution, and that rehabilitation is the key to addressing the epidemic.
"Incarceration is not the end goal or solution," Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith's Facebook page reads. "Resources are needed for rehabilitation, prevention and enforcement. It is necessary to have a multifaceted approach to address the associated issues."
According to Sheriff Smith, DeSantis was attentive to the issue at hand and expressed intent to aid the sheriffs in any way possible, particularly through funding.
Several meetings regarding the methamphetamine epidemic have been held leading up to the meeting with Governor DeSantis. The rural county sheriffs who attended some or all of these meetings include: Madison County Sheriff Harper, Jefferson County Sheriff McNeill, Calhoun County Sheriff Kimbrel, Dixie County Sheriff Butler, Gilchrist County Sheriff Schultz, Glades County Sheriff Hardin, Gulf County Sheriff Harrison, Franklin County Sheriff Smith, Hamilton County Sheriff Reid, Holmes County Sheriff Tate, Lafayette County Sheriff Lamb, Liberty County Sheriff Money, Taylor County Sheriff Padgett, Union County Sheriff Whitehead and Washington County Sheriff Crews.
DeSantis' plans to increase funding are currently underway and the rural sheriffs have been receiving assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
"Methamphetamine has become an epidemic in rural counties due to being widely available to everyone regardless of economic standing. It is common for those involved in the use, sale and production of illicit narcotics to traverse and operate throughout multiple surrounding counties. It is imperative that law enforcement agencies, especially rural county sheriff's, work together to develop strategies for enforcement and information sharing," said Madison County Sheriff David Harper. "As law enforcement leaders in our respective communities, we understand that narcotic enforcement should also include a treatment component or the recidivism rate will remain mostly unchanged. We are fortunate to have a Governor who recognizes the many challenges that rural county sheriffs, who operate in fiscally constrained counties, face. We appreciate Governor DeSantis for listening to our concerns and for his commitment in helping us sheriffs make our communities a healthier and safer place to live, work and visit."