Meth and heroin possession arrests rising in county

Drug arrests in California have increased in half of its 58 counties, according to the Public Policy Institute of California while overall arrest rates in most Californian counties have decreased. In Placer County, law enforcement statistics show that methamphetamine and heroin possession arrests are increasing at a higher rate than other illegal drugs and that more men than women are charged. Additionally, those aged 30 to 39 have been arrested the most often and the majority of those charged have not been homeless. The Lincoln Police Department said that in Lincoln, the number of individuals charged with drug-related offenses grew by more than 100 between the same time periods over the past two years. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 27, 2019, 192 individuals were charged, compared to 306 during the same time period in 2020. While most of those charged have been in possession of drugs, Lincoln Police said, officers have seen an increase of individuals facing sales charges. Lincoln Police report that most individuals arrested have not been Lincoln residents. Like Lincoln, Rocklin Police report that methamphetamine is the most often found drug and heroin is the second-most found drug. "We arrest people for many different types of narcotics, methamphetamine, heroin, pills (Xanax, Clonazepam, Alprazolam, Hydrocodone, etc.) suboxone, cocaine and lots of paraphernalia like pipes, syringes, baggies, foil, etc," said Rocklin Lt. Adrian Passadore. In Rocklin, police report that approximately 134 individuals were charged with methamphetamine possession in 2019, and as of Nov. 18 this year, the number stood at 115. Statistics show that 83 percent of those charged with drug-related offenses in Rocklin have not been Rocklin residents. "The large number of arrests of non-residents probably came to the city in motor vehicles," Passadore said. "We have seen spikes in arrests during the summer months, June to September, this year." Possession of methamphetamine is a misdemeanor in California, involving a penalty of up to one year in jail and/or a fine of $1,000. Under California's drug diversion programs, however, individuals might be able to have their jail time probated if they attend substance-abuse treatment programs. Possession of heroin is a misdemeanor and if the possession is for selling purposes, it is a felony. According to the Lincoln Police Department, "A sales case could be based on numerous factors, such as quantity, packaging material, scales, money, written evidence, statements and/or observations." If convicted of heroin possession as a misdemeanor and without prior convictions, the individual could face up to a year in the county jail or possibly qualify for a drug diversion program. However, if the possession is prosecuted as a felony because of the intent to sell, imprisonment could be for two, three or four years. While the Roseville Police Department could not provide the type of drugs most arrests were made for, its data shows that 2020 drug-related arrests will likely surpass the number from 2019. From the first of this year to the end of October, law enforcement officers in Roseville have filed charges against 1,214 individuals compared to 1,217 individuals in 2019. When law enforcement officers make arrests, they have the discretion of taking suspects to jail or releasing them with a citation that lists the charges against them and a court appearance date. "Nearly all misdemeanors are field-released on a promise to appear (citation). Some exceptions are driving under the influence, under the influence of drugs/alcohol and unable to care for themselves, and misdemeanor domestic violence," said Lincoln Police Lt. Matt Alves. "The majority of the time, felonies are booked. Occasionally extenuating circumstances exist where we can't book on felonies (a suspect admitted to the hospital is a good example)." In Auburn, police have made more arrests than citations in the last two years. Officers have the discretion of whether they arrest or cite and their decision is usually based on the amount of drugs, age of suspect and circumstances regarding the contact, according to the Auburn Police Department. Auburn Police statistics show: In 2019, 29 individuals were charged with drug-related offenses, 18 of whom were Auburn residents. In 2020, 43 individuals were charged with 22 of them listing Auburn addresses. According to data supplied by the Placer County Sheriff's Office, which provides law enforcement services to Loomis and Colfax and to unincorporated areas from the Sacramento County line to the Nevada state line at Lake Tahoe: 238 Auburn residents were charged with drug-related offenses during all of 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020 to Nov. 19, 2020. The top three communities where deputies have filed drug-related charges against individuals during that time period have been Auburn (367), Lincoln (116) and Roseville (104). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) experts say that methamphetamine use is up across the United States because supplies are plentiful and the price has been relatively low, compared to other drugs. Dr. Christopher Jones, the Centers' Office of Strategy and Innovation associate director, said there is a growing demand for methamphetamine by opioid users as a substitute when opioids are unavailable and as a supplement to opioids for an additional high. This past October, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the seizure of its largest amount of methamphetamine in the United States: more than 2,200 pounds in Riverside. Federal agents also found 13 pounds of heroin and 893 pounds of cocaine in Riverside County "stash houses," plus 3,000-plus pounds of methamphetamine and 64 pounds of heroin on a truck crossing Mexico into the United States at the San Diego border. Nationwide, more than 1.5 million Americans over age 18 have been hooked on methamphetamines, based on the latest statistics, 2015-2018, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the health protection agency, "Efforts to build state and local prevention and response capacity, expand linkages to care, and enhance public health and public safety collaborations are needed to combat rising methamphetamine availability and related harms." A push for decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of drugs including methamphetamine has been successful via ballot initiative in Oregon, which has chosen to send more offenders to treatment programs rather than jails. California is expected to face a legislative effort for similar legislation in the near future, riding on the successful tails of legalizing marijuana for its medicinal properties. Recently, a California lawmaker said that he will introduce legislation to decriminalize the possession of several psychedelic drugs because of their medicinal use for depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health conditions. State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), in a Twitter post, said, "We need to stop criminalizing drug use & addiction." The debate over decriminalization has continued with opponents saying that the drug illegality will continue to reduce crime rates when offenders have been arrested; illegal drug distribution will be weakened; fewer people will be able to afford the increasing price of drugs and will use less; communities will be safer because communities will no longer have drug-related activities in their boundaries. Arguments against the federal government's War on Drugs, which started in the 1970s to stop illegal use and sale of drugs, center on the belief that it has failed to reduce domestic street-level drug activity. Decriminalization supporters have said that the price tag has been too high to enforce drug laws and that the money could have been better spent for services such as providing health care and creating jobs. Another argument has been that by imprisoning working people with drug dependency, the economy has been adversely affected because the prisoners have lost the ability to earn a living and be productive. Another argument for decriminalization has focused on discrimination with claims of higher law enforcement actions in low-income communities and neighborhoods where people of color live. Nationwide, 74,000 Americans died from drug overdose deaths, a five-percent increase last year, as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have reportedly been creating havoc with addicts trying to be clean. According to a National Public Radio report, in which Admiral Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was quoted, ""Every indication we have in terms of stress, in terms of surveys about increasing (drug) use during the pandemic, basically everything is pointed in the wrong direction." Judie Fertig Panneton wrote "Proud Americans: Growing Up As Children of Immigrants" and is a Lincoln resident. What the law enforcement agencies are reporting Law enforcement agencies in Placer County use different data-collecting systems, which makes it difficult to track the same type of data in each community. The following is information provided by the agencies to Gold Country Media: Lincoln Police reported: Methamphetamine has been the primary drug possessed by those arrested and heroin is the second most common illegal drug. Most individuals have been arrested for drug possession and are users but there is an increase of sales arrests. The majority of drug arrests, 83 percent, have been of individuals who do not live in Lincoln. Drug-related arrest: 192 from the period of Jan. 1, 2019 to Oct. 27, 2019 306 during the same time period in 2020. In 2020, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 27 - drug-related arrests: Men - 228 Women - 76 Age group 2020: Under 20: 2 20 to 29: 78 30 to 39: 109 40 to 49: 53 50 to 59: 45 60 to 69: 19 Lincoln's population: Approximately 48,000 Rocklin Police reported: Methamphetamine is the most common drug, with heroin the second most common illegal drug. Drug-related arrests totaled 296, which were approximately the same for 2019 and 2020. More than 80 percent of those arrested have not been Rocklin residents. For the year 2019: Men: 108 Women: 93 Age group Under 20: 4 20 to 29: 38 30 to 39: 57 40 to 49: 27 50 to 59: 18 60 to 69: 5 From Jan. 1, 2020 to approximately the end of October 2020, the breakdown of data shows: Men: 93 Women: 54 Age group 2020 Under 20: 4 20 to 29: 36 30 to 39: 60 40 to 49: 36 50 to 59: 13 60 to 69: 1 Rocklin population: Approximately 69,000 Auburn Police reported: Based on the time period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019, 29 drug-related cases were reported compared to 43 during the time period of Jan. 1 to Nov. 19, 2020. In 2019, all those arrested were users and not sellers. In 2020, 1 of the 43 people was a seller and a user. Twice as many were arrested versus cited. In 2019, 18 of the 29 arrested were Auburn residents. In 2020, 22 of the 43 arrested lived in Auburn. Auburn Police Data breakdown by sex and age: 2019 Men: 20 Women: 9 Age group: Under 20: 1 20 to 29: 9 30 to 39: 6 40 to 49: 6 50 to 59: 5 60 to 69: 2 2020 Men: 34 Women: 9 Age group Under 20: 2 20 to 29: 11 30 to 39: 13 40 to 49: 7 50 to 59: 9 60 to 69: 1 Auburn population: 13,330 Placer County Sheriff's Office reported: Meth-related charges: 2019: 260 2020: 237 Heroin/Cocaine/Narcotics Related: 2019: 78 2020: 72 Of all arrests including meth, heroin, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, "under the influence," and "possession while armed" categories, 221 people were arrested and 223 were cited in 2020. In 2019, 307 were arrested and 221 cited. Data re: sex and age: of the 972 arrests for total drug-related offenses listed above: Under 18: 3 18 to 29: 265 30 to 39: 351 40 to 49: 200 50 to 59: 126 60 to 69: 25 70 to 79: 2 Based on the time period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019 and Jan. 1 to Nov. 19, 2020: Placer County cities where the largest amounts of drug-related charges were filed by Placer County Sheriff's deputies: Auburn: 367 Lincoln: 116 Roseville: 104 Rocklin: 75 Colfax: 59 Kings Beach: 50 Granite Bay: 45 Loomis: 31 Roseville Police reported: In 2019, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, there were 1,217 drug-related arrests. In 2020, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, there were 1,214 drug-related arrests. 2019 Men - 590 Women – 204 2020 Men - 525 Women - 182 Residences of those charged: 2019 Roseville: 293 Non-resident: 501 2020 Roseville: 271 Non-resident: 436 The type of drug possessed was listed in the narrative portion of officers' reports and not captured in the data received from the department's records office. Roseville's records management system does not compute the ages of those arrested, according to the records office. Roseville population: Approximately 120,000. .