is the Commanding Officer, Training, for the Maine State Police. He has been a police officer for over 30 years and has served in many capacities during that time, including highway patrol, drug enforcement, criminal investigation, and, most recently, training. From his experiences, he has learned the temptations that lead people into dependence on drugs. He offered these thoughts on the subject.
Drug addiction is similar to alcohol addiction, child abuse, spousal abuse, and so forth. These problems often run from generation to generation. The alcoholics I knew and arrested 30 years ago, now have sons or daughters who are alcoholics or child abusers. So special attention needs to be given to the family.
Only by people and communities' working together to fight apathy and educate each other can this cycle be broken. People need to know that others do care. When I worked the road—now many years ago—anytime I knew I was going to a call related to domestic conflict or violence I would pick up the local pastor. Often I was able to provide a connection between the abuser and the pastor, or the victim and the pastor, that would later solve the problem. It didn't always work, but more often than not, some gains were made. Today we teach new troopers to work with the community to solve this age-old problem. Overall we all are better educated to many of these problems and the ways to combat any type of addiction.
