By Jolene Cleaver
Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y.
UTICA, N.Y. — When it comes to trends in drug cases, the law enforcement community continues to see that methamphetamine cases have shown no signs of going away.
Officials at the Oneida County 911 center say they continue to receive calls regarding suspected meth labs, and county Assistant District Attorney Grant Garramone, the bureau chief of his office’s narcotics unit, said “in this area, the “one pot” or “shake and bake” method is the preferred method of production.”
“One pots” are low-tech, with ingredients that are relatively easy to get.
Law enforcement say that ease can lead to more activity.
Garramone said that from Jan. 1, 2016, until Dec. 22, 2017, his office prosecuted 51 felony cases that stemmed from individuals possessing the ingredients, or precursors, to manufacturing methamphetamine. That figure doesn’t include any other types of meth charges (like sale or possession) or any other crimes that can be related to meth business like theft of items that can be used to manufacture the drug.
That activity also can be seen in the amount of inmates booked into the Oneida County Correctional Facility that report meth use.
Recent Oneida County jail data shows 80 inmates in 2015 were admitted meth users. That number jumped to 92 for 2016.
From January through November of this year, there were 106 inmates who reported meth use or abuse upon entering the jail.
“There’s just not enough treatment centers” for those addicted to drugs, said Chief Greg Pflieger, who heads up the jail. “It’s just a cycle that continues.”
Pflieger said when inmates enter the jail, they are screened for any issues that may arise during incarceration. During that screening is when most inmates admit drug use, and then the medical unit of the jail gets involved to provide care for any withdrawal effects.
Inmates undergoing drug withdrawal in jail also get individualized supervision by jail staff until their situation is under control and they can return to the general jail population.
“It takes up a considerable amount of resources at the jail,” Pflieger said. “It’s becoming routine.”
The jail chief and Garramone said that law enforcement and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office often work to find treatment programs for defendants who might qualify.
When it comes to getting that addiction under control, Garramone said, “the first thing they have to do is admit they have a problem.”
©2017 Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y.