Sheriff’s detective focuses on illegal drugs in county

By ALEC KELLER

Times staff writer

Illegal drug usage in Hardin County and ways it can be prevented in the local area was the focus of a wellness presentation Thursday in Kenton.

Hardin County Sheriff’s Detective Aric LaRue, who has worked in the office for seven years as a deputy and 1 1/2 years as a detective on the crime task force, gave his findings to community leaders and county entities in Veterans Hall in the courthouse as part of Keep Hardin County Beautiful’s annual wellness activities.

There are multiple roles that the crime task force fills, LaRue said. One of them is investigating drugs and drug offenders. In relation to drugs, the task force looks into trafficking operations and measures to remove them from the community.

In addition, the task force (if they can) also works with connecting individuals struggling with addiction to resources that offer support, he said.

“We were able to accomplish that by several different avenues,” LaRue said. “Normally it’s from intelligence that we collect either from patrol guys when they’re out interacting with the public. Or when they’re making traffic stops and sometimes we get tips from the public as well that we’ll follow up on.”

Once that is collected, they proceed with surveillance to identify an individual that may be selling drugs within the community, he said.

“On a local level, that’s what we’re seeing, and it is pretty standard across the State of Ohio,” he said.

LaRue delved into the topic of various drugs such as marijuana, and how the age limit in Ohio is  21 for recreational use.

He said drugs can impact the youth as well, and that there are many vaping devices and edibles that the youth can be found with. He said that unregulated drug usage for kids can be harmful.

He said that if a child is found with those substances, an adult should have a conversation with them on where they got it from and how.

When asked if kids have a special code they use with one another talking about drugs, LaRue said that most of the time they communicate through “emojis” on encrypted social media applications that law enforcement agencies cannot really see.

“They don’t use a lot of language,” LaRue said. “As far as like the pills go, I haven’t seen much of it. A lot of times they’re using like a “tree emoji” which means marijuana stuff. And they’re describing how good it is with a “fire emoji.”

Parents should be on the alert if a child is being secretive, or is showing a lack of performance in their job and schooling, and isolating themselves.

“It warrants a conversation, even if it is uncomfortable,” he said.

Prescription pills for example are another issue that the sheriff’s office runs into, LaRue said. When searching cars or houses, individuals are frequently in possession of prescription drugs that are either in the wrong bottle, or not in the bottle at all. Some of these bottles even have inaccurate prescriptions.

Harder drugs, such as fentanyl or methamphetamine, are another issue.

In relation to fentanyl, LaRue said, there has been a decrease in overdoses, whether from it being abused less or the realization or awareness of Narcan being accessible. Narcan, according to the brand’s website, is a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of life-threatening opioids.

When asked by Commissioner Fred Rush if Narcan gives an individual an opportunity to be immune to drugs, or if someone’s system develops an immunity. LaRue said he wasn’t aware of that.

“I’m definitely not an expert in Narcan,” LaRue said.

He noted that if a person who is not experiencing an overdose puts Narcan in their system, it will not be harmful. However there is no direct evidence of someone repeatedly using that develops an immunity to drugs.

Deputy Chris Fannon added that with his experience of repeat customers over the years, that if they are given Narcan after becoming unconscious, “they snap out of it,” he said.

In closing, LaRue said that teenagers getting yelled at isn’t the best solution. Some things the community can do is use medication drop boxes that are offered at the sheriff’s office. He said one of the best things that the community can do is encourage young people to participate in extracurriculars and sports, and perhaps get a job outside of school to learn valuable skills.

“Things that keep their mind busy so they’re not tempted to find themselves in situations that could put them down a path in life where they could be struggling for a while,” LaRue said.