Elks, Sheriff team up to prevent drug abuse
<p><strong>Rick Gale talks to members of the Thompson Falls community about the Elks’ drug awareness program during the Elks’ spaghetti feed.</strong></p>
THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson Falls Elks Lodge teamed up with the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office for a spaghetti dinner and update on the county’s drug enforcement and awareness.
As diners ate, a projector put up images of how drug use impacts a person’s body as well as informational slides. As everyone finished their meals, the presentation began with representatives of the Elks Club talking to the community about why they fight for drug awareness and the importance of spreading that information as much as possible.
After comments by Rick Gale, chairman of the Montana Elks drug awareness program, the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office gave a presentation and demonstration on their own drug awareness program as well as their new K9 unit. The unit is in a pilot program to test the feasibility of having one in use in the county. So far, they only have one dog but hope to expand it in the future. The K9 allows them to locate hidden drugs on suspects, in vehicles or in a building.
During the demonstration, Max – the new K9 dog – was taken through the room after three identical bags, one of which had narcotics in it, had been placed in it. Max went around the bags and immediately homed in on the one with the narcotics and gave the signal that he found something.
It was also noted the unit can help in other ways as well; there was a recent situation where they needed to track someone and were ready to call in the unit to go off scent. However, the sheriff’s deputy laughed as he noted they were eventually able to track the person using footprints in snow.
The unit was suggested and approved in April last year. Since then, the unit was in a training period and has been active the last few months.
The event also served to allow the Elks to introduce the drug disposal box they had installed in the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office. County residents can bring any extra pills they may have, whether they are vitamins, prescription drugs or another type of product, and put them in the box for disposal.
It was stressed that only pills can be disposed of in the box; any other drugs or prescriptions should not be placed in the box for disposal.
According to Bev Barrett, Elks drug awareness program chairman for Montana West, the box has already proven to be popular. It has only been in the sheriff’s office for a few months and they have already had to empty the box; this is only done once they are filled, which can usually be anywhere from weeks to months apart.
The Elks, on a statewide level, have placed these boxes in communities around the state of Montana. Barrett and Gale felt it was especially important to get them into smaller communities like Sanders County, though, due to the drug issues that have cropped up in the area recently.
In a perfect world, they would like to eventually have a box in all the county’s communities; however, they realize this is hard to do since they are expensive – the one in the SCSO was funded by grants – and the box needs to be placed in a law enforcement office where it is monitored 24/7. For communities like Plains and Hot Springs, where the police station is not staffed at all times, such an arrangement would be hard to manage.
The box at the sheriff’s office is located in a public, easy to reach area that can be accessed 24/7. While it is under constant surveillance, it is also in a discreet area where someone can deposit the things they wish to dispose of without interacting with anyone.