Kentucky law enforcement agencies fighting heroin use will receive a portion of more than $2 million in federal funding. Appalachia is one of five High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas that will get support. Madison County is included in the HIDTA program. Sheriff Mike Coyle says eight task force members from four law enforcement agencies have been working heroin cases this year. “There’s quite a few of our cases that are still clandestine in nature, because we can’t do anything yet until we work them a little bit more and then I think the public will see quite a few arrests stem from there,” said Coyle.
The five HIDTAs will use the money to share intelligence, analyze trends, provide law enforcement training, and strengthen public health-public safety partnerships. In addition to Kentucky, funds are also going to large metropolitan areas like Washington, New York, and Philadelphia.
Sheriff Coyle says acquiring information from knowledgeable sources can be a problem. “Everybody wants something done, but a lot of people don’t want to be involved for various reasons," Coyle said. "But you know, we do know that what we face today in our society is nothing like we’ve ever seen it in our life before.”
Coyle says a new anonymous drug information tip line has just been established in the Richmond area. The number is 859-623-1714.?
