Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kelsey Demmert, 612-919-5918
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Latest Focus on Fentanyl Video Highlights Criminal Intelligence and Enforcement Efforts
DECEMBER 1, 2023 (Minneapolis) – The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) today released the third in its series of Focus on Fentanyl videos. The latest video focuses on enforcement efforts and examines how through search warrants, high intensity drug and gun enforcement details, undercover work, and utilizing technology, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is disrupting the fentanyl and illegal firearm market. In addition, the video shows how fake Oxycodone pills frequently contain fentanyl, which leads to deadly consequences.
Investigative Bureau Major Rick Palaia outlined the increased danger of fentanyl, compared to even the deadliest drugs that preceded it. “We saw heroin for many years, and heroin was deadly, and we’d see heroin overdose deaths. But nothing like fentanyl overdose deaths. The fentanyl overdose deaths are catastrophic to the whole country.” Opioid overdoses in Hennepin County increased from 79 in 2011, when heroin was the predominant overdose-causing opioid, to 378 in 2022 with fentanyl.
“Our goal in this initiative is to save lives that might otherwise be lost to fentanyl. As we tell the heartfelt stories of those who have lost their loved ones and continue increasing awareness, we also want the public to know that we are taking aggressive measures in monitoring, tracking, and interdicting these drugs before they take more lives,” said Sheriff Dawanna Witt. “As I’ve said before, this is both a public health and a public safety crisis. Individuals facing substance use disorder, or who may attempt to self-medicate with illicit drugs should receive the treatment and support that they need, but our agency is also dedicated to safety through enforcement. We are arresting the individuals we find in connection to the distribution of illicit drugs and believe that accountability for their part in this epidemic is a crucial element in addressing this crisis.”
Please use the link below to view the third in our series of Focus on Fentanyl videos.
Focus on Fentanyl: Detectives Go After Drug Dealers
– HCSO–
Look for more news on the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at hennepinsheriff.org.
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