Methamphetamine, totaling 49 grams, is weighed on a scale on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, in Logansport. Photo provided by the Logansport Police Department
“Nothing affects people more than the quality of life.”
Cass County Sheriff Ed Schroder’s words resonated in the room where law enforcement officers gathered to discuss the ongoing drug problem. “Meth is king,” he said. “Right now, our jail is over-capacity.”
Of the 212 inmates at the Cass County Jail, 80% are behind bars on drug-related charges.
And of the 223 cases investigated by the Drug Task Force this year, 126 have been methamphetamine-related, 24 involved heroin, one was linked to cocaine, and 29 were marijuana or synthetic drug cases. By comparison, 2019 saw 281 investigated cases with 133 for meth, 25 for heroin, two for cocaine, and 68 for marijuana or synthetic drugs. The previous year was on par with 2019.
But according to Drug Task Force detectives, who must remain anonymous due to the nature of their jobs, “If we didn’t have COVID, our numbers would have been through the roof.”
In fact, service calls more than doubled the month of June as compared to March, April and May. When the state was under Gov. Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, the Logansport Police Department, Drug Task Force, and Cass County Sheriff Department operated in a different fashion. “We didn’t investigate any less,” said Police Chief Travis Yike, “but we operated in a way to protect officers’ health while still keeping the city safe.”
For the year thus far, the police department has responded to more than 13,680 calls, while the sheriff’s department has responded to upwards of 8,600 calls. Many of these were drug-related calls, with the Logansport Police Department making more than 500 narcotics-related arrests for 2020.
There is no doubt, the group agreed: Logansport and Cass County have a drug problem. And there is no distinction between users and addicts – those who hold steady jobs are just as likely to partake of some type of drug as individuals who are unemployed, said Yike.
The big question remains, according to the Drug Task Force: “How do you fix this problem? We don’t know.” Drug usage, which often results in addiction, is a learned behavior, an officer said. “Kids see parents using drugs and when they get older, they think it’s okay and so they start using.”
And despite many people’s desire to have marijuana legalized in Indiana, whether for medicinal purposes or for recreational use, these officers believe it would be a mistake. Apparently, the Legislature does as well – House Bill 1041 failed to pass earlier this year, which would have allowed marijuana for medicinal usage.
Currently, the Hoosier State is only one of 19 that provides jail time for marijuana offenses, and one of 14 that does not grant usage as a medicine.
Marijuana is the fourth highest abused drug, based upon a community-wide survey conducted by the Local Coordinating Committee in partnership with Drug-Free Cass County.
“It’s the gateway drug,” added a member of the Drug Task Force. “Drug users start here and end up addicted to meth or another drug.”
While most people arrested on marijuana-related charges do not spend time in the Indiana Department of Correction, officers said three people were sentenced to prison in 2018 after caught with 37 pounds of the substance.
But marijuana is almost so commonplace that people do not think of it as the drug that is the root of many problems. Yet, it is. When an individual uses marijuana for a fixed time, the effects tend to wear off faster. That means if that individual wants a greater “high,” he or she will search for new practices. This often leads to heroin or meth.
Heroin still carries its weight among drug-abusers, but with Narcan available, it’s not as shocking to learn of an overdose as it might have been a decade ago. Those who overdose suffer respiratory arrest where they can’t breathe and their heart rate lowers, which is why the revival medicine is administered.
Yet, there is no “revival” medicine for meth, and the “high” of this drug is overpowering. “Meth has been the predominate drug of choice; it’s very prevalent,” said the Drug Task Force. “When people get high, they tend to get really bad highs.”
When the Legislature passed the restriction on the amount of pseudoephedrine that a buyer could purchase in a 30-day timeframe in 2012, sales may have dropped, but it didn’t really make a difference, according to the Drug Task Force. “People just got it from somewhere else.”
For three years running, Indiana held the title as the meth capital of America. In 2015, there were 1,452 labs in the state. Logansport had 30 of those.
And then, the demand for meth swelled among the drug community. In the beginning, powder meth was the top choice; but, over time, users and addicts sought a different variety – crystal meth. In 2013, when crystal meth became widely popular, it cost $10,000 per half-pound. Eventually, the price tag dropped. The Drug Task Force said as time went on, dealers shoveled out $2,400 for a half-pound. Users and addicts pay around $350 for an ounce of the crystal variety. Crystal meth may be more expensive than powder, but there is less risk during the manufacture, according to the Drug Task Force.
The switch from powder to crystal sealed the fate of the drug cartels, said Schroder. With their presence increasing, and the demand for their product growing, the drug cartels have developed what has become known as “Super Labs.”
The drug cartels can distribute higher quantities of meth than individuals could manufacture. This is a major reason Logansport and Cass County have uncovered just two labs in the last four years, according to the Drug Task Force.
This also is why officers work nonstop to bring an end to drug crimes.
“I don’t want this in my neighborhood,” said Yike. “People don’t want it in theirs.”
So, when the community reports suspicious behavior or tips that lead to drug-related investigations, it helps more than people may realize. “Yet, they need to know that one of the biggest misconceptions is that we can’t barge in on a drug party or scene,” said a Drug Task Force officer. “We can’t do that. We can’t go bang on someone’s door and force our way inside. There is protocol to follow.”
Schroder agreed. “We still have to build a case so we can prove it in court. Knowing and proving are two different things. That’s why the community is so important. They’re our eyes and ears that lead to those tidbits that help. But building a strong case that will stand up in court requires hours and hours of work.”
And over the last four years, the number of prosecuted drug cases has increased. The Cass County Prosecutor’s Office has worked on at least 550 possessions of meth cases between 2016 and 2019. For the same years, there were more than 60 dealing in meth offenses, 30 cocaine dealing cases, and approximately 121 possessions of cocaine charges.
No matter how a person looks at the situation, the drug trade and drug usage is an epidemic that has existed for a long time, said Yike, adding that the best way to combat the ongoing issue is through education.
“Education is what leads to prevention,” he said. “Addiction is a mental health issue, and for people to overcome addiction, they need to make changes to the people, places and things they associate with. Most don’t. They get arrested, go to rehab, and come back to the same people, places and things.”
But with steps the community is taking, and with the expansion of the jail, Schroder hopes better resources and services will be available to addicts. While COVID halted the ability to have people meet in groups at the jail for counseling services, generally provided by Four County Counseling Center, the sheriff believes once the pandemic is under control and the new addition is complete, inmates will have education as well as mental health resources within reach.
And these services could make all the difference in the world – or, at least this community.
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