“There is a problem everywhere. I don’t think you have one neighborhood that says we don’t have some kind of drug problem. So we are committed to fighting the problem,” Shaw said.
In 2012, he said that 143 people were arrested on drug-related charges. While many of those arrests were people from the surrounding area, he said the drugs are coming in from the larger cities.
“The drugs are coming from somewhere outside of our communities. People are coming from the cities and bringing it in here. So, I am glad to see we’re identifying those folks and those situations, investigating them and prosecuting them,” he said.
So far as the current-year, Shaw said there have been seven drug arrests in Clearfield County. He said that more outside resources are being utilized to resolve the drug problem.
“I am very happy that the attorney general has dedicated resources to Clearfield County. We now have folks who are dedicated just to our county, and they work in cooperation with our task force. We have a county task force that’s facilitated by the attorney general’s office. I’m telling you that we’re out to do business,” he said.
Shaw said in Clearfield County, they’ve witnessed more drug incidents that involve heroin, cocaine, prescription pills and marijuana. He said police have been using more tools to locate local drug customers and dealers.
“[We’re using] surveillance techniques, electronic monitoring, electronic communications, informants, undercover personnel. Any of the modern techniques that you would think of for this type of investigation, we use it in Clearfield County. We’re going to continue to use it, and it’s paying off because we’re making more and more arrests,” Shaw said.
Anyone with information regarding the suspected use or sale of illegal drugs can call Clearfield County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-376-4700. All callers will remain anonymous.