As Connersville Police Chief David Counceller talks about his city's drug problems, his tone is sober. It's been a rough year.
"I'm usually an optimistic person, but I don't see things getting any better," he says.
Councellor's job brings him face to face with the town's drug problem everyday. He says you won't find anyone in Connersville who doesn't know someone addicted to drugs.
"It wears on everybody," he says. "We have family and friends out here on this stuff. What do you got to do to wake these people up?"
The problem isn't new, but it got really bad last fall. In a period of just two months, more than three dozen people overdosed on heroin.
Drug abuse was literally killing the community.
"We had some deaths in a short amount of time last September and it got the eye of the governor, so [Indiana State Police] Superintendent [Douglas] Carter got with me and asked what can we do," Councellor says. "Long story short we got this task force together involving seven agencies with the state and local government."
Gov. Mike Pence is creating a similar task force at the state level, made up of law enforcement, medical experts and drug treatment specialists. The goal is to combat the state's growing rate of drug abuse, particularly heroin.
During the announcement, Pence referenced the community of Connersville on more than one occasion. He used it as a good example of state and local agencies working together.
Many in Connersville, though, say the jury is still out on whether the Connersville effort has been successful.
About 200 people have been arrested relating to drug offenses as a part of Connersville's crackdown on drug dealers. Now that the sellers are being targeted, the next step is stopping the buyers.
They don't realize that it is a disease, that they are sick, and that they need compassion.
The state health commissioner just granted Fayette County the authority to start a needle exchange program, with the goal of putting more energy into community outreach, education and helping people get off drugs.
"As long as you have supply and demand, the law enforcement side of it addresses the supply part," says Fayette County Commission President Franklin Jackson says. "But the education, the information, the build up of self esteem among individuals who have none and are more susceptible to drug use. I think that's the part like the needle exchange program and all its components, I think that's what that addresses."
The most pressing issue right now, besides finding a location for the exchange, is getting the community on board.
"In the police world, there are paraphernalia laws," Counceller says. "The laws are going to have to be repelled or something to do this. It's like giving your daughter birth control pills. Is that condoning her to do that or are you protecting her well-being? So it's a double edge sword."
Health officials, though, emphasize the need for a fundamental change to how drug addicts are viewed.
"They don't realize that it is a disease, that they are sick, and that they need compassion that they don't get," says Paula Maupin, the Fayette County nurse. "I hear quite often, why not give them the heroin, you're giving them the needles and everything else they need."
The exchanges have long been controversial, but the state amended its policy to allow them in emergency situations following the HIV outbreak in Scott County.
Since the exchange started there dozens of people have been referred to drug treatment programs.
It's hard to protect people from themselves.
"Obviously we don't know yet how effective we're going to be we're going into this with the hope that we can help 100 percent of the people," Jackson says.
The state is continuing its involvement – staff from the state health department are providing resources and making themselves available to help with the launch of the exchange program.
But they're not providing any money. State funds can't be used for syringes but can help with other services.
Police Chief Counceller is grateful to have some dealers off the streets. But he's doubtful – even with help from the state – things are going to get any better in his community.
"It's hard to protect people from themselves," Counceller says. "Some people, when they get their mind made up, they want to get off of it, great, that's super, but others are not strong enough to do that and, uh, they stay on it until they die. That's basically it."
