Bracken Sheriff Candidates Address Opioid Epidemic

Kentucky has the third highest overdose death rate in the country. And that rate is rising. The opioid crisis has probably affected all of us in some form. Addiction, overdose and crime accompany the epidemic and affect everyone involved in law enforcement. And people throughout law enforcement are seeking solutions to the many problems. Today, I reached out to three men vying for the elected position of Bracken County sheriff. I asked each candidate to give a brief explanation of what they could do about the opioid epidemic if elected as county sheriff. Kevin Stears believes that the dealers that have existed for years need to be pursued. Stears even claimed that some of these dealers are close kin to some individuals in the sheriff’s office. Stears said that the sheriff’s department can improve its approach to the opioid crisis and will do everything in his power to put these dealers behind bars “where they belong.” Stears closed his response by doubling down on his statement of the long existing problem with dealers by saying, ”It’s been the same people doing this all over the county for years.” James Cox had an immediate response of focusing on educating the youth about drug addiction. Cox would like to see more youth programs in schools regarding the issue. Cox went on to say that he felt sadness that he saw a lot of drug offenders released back onto the streets. Cox will push for stricter laws that show no tolerance for serious drug offenses. Cox said he would like to work with judges and the county attorney to put offenders into rehabilitation rather than be released. Cox closed by saying, “Drugs will always unfortunately be a problem but if elected as sheriff I intend to work with all citizens to rid our county of drugs.” In a recent ad in the Bracken County News, Sheriff Niemeier said that during his time as sheriff there have been 270 drug related arrests with over 120 of those being drug trafficking charges. Sheriff Niemeier also included in his ad that there were several school programs implemented during his tenure. Which could be assumed to include the SALUTE program which includes educating youth on drug addiction. Via Niemeier’s personal Facebook, in October of 2017, the sheriff’s department along with the DEA fostered a program that asked citizens to dispose of potentially dangerous unused, expired and unwanted prescription drugs. Mr. Niemeier did not respond to Facebook messages sent to him in enough time to include any response in this blog like the other candidates. Hopefully, Sheriff Niemeier can publicly address the issue specifically for many citizens concerned by the opioid crisis. I look forward to hearing ideas from all three men seeking election as Bracken County sheriff. We are lucky to have three men dedicated to public safety and passionate about the lives of Bracken Countians.