Wal-Mart Donates $25,000 to Help Launch Marion County’s Meth Strike Force

The money from Wal-Mart will be added to a community-wide fundraising effort kicked off last month.

(SALEM) - Marion County’s groundbreaking effort to combat methamphetamine got a boost Thursday from a national retailer.

Retail giant Wal-Mart delivered a $25,000 check to help launch the county’s law enforcement strike force.

“This is a huge win for the county,” stated Senator Jackie Winters (R-Salem). “The local response has been great and now Wal-Mart takes it to a whole new level.”

The strike force will be made up of law enforcement agencies including the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the State Police and the cities of Salem, Keizer and Woodburn. Its mission will be to target those individuals that make and sell meth. A recent poll in Marion County revealed that one in three residents had been touched by the epidemic.

“Law enforcement agencies have done a good job in reducing the small home labs and now it is time to go after the mid and upper level manufactures and dealers,” stated Winters. “We must stop the big guys.”

In January Senator Winters, along with Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem), created a taskforce to look at Marion County’s meth problem and solve it. The group is made up of leaders from government, business, community and faith based groups.

Over $150,000 has come in from generous donations from the Salem community. In November the Legislative Emergency Board will also be asked to support the strike force.

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Victor October 20, 2006 12:28 pm (Pacific time)

This is one component of three necessary to an over all strategy. The other two are prevention and treatement. The drug court set up by the sherrif provides very well for treatment. However, I do agree with a previous post. Our education system lacks funding. And porgrams like Head Start and "Family Building Blocks" and universal health care combined with a good school systen will provide for the prevention component of this strategy.

Henry Ruark October 6, 2006 11:15 am (Pacific time)

We fail miserably in most public schools on precisely the portions of socialization involved here. One major reason is overworked teachers unable to manage learning when overwhelmed by 25% more kids than research and experience shows can be effectively "taught" --with all that must mean these days. SO laugh--and then cry !--when some would-be political/gury tells me "ten percent" slash is "so easy"... That's NOT-all the reason, but a h... of a good place to start.

C'itall October 5, 2006 11:09 pm (Pacific time)

When there is no market, there will be no need for a product. How are we preventing the social issue of people becoming addicts? Is just the drug to blame? Or, is it a lack of strong examples of true achievable happiness, the satisfaction of success? Self-Respect? I think we need to do more to put the dealers out of business- eliminate the market. Will we use all of this money to put people in jail? Or, will any of it at all go to helping people not become, or remain, criminals? Our jails and prison beds overflow already. That's not the answer. We have more people incarcerated than any other nation in the world. Out of sight should really not mean out of mind. Lets not keep this culture of crime going, we must head it off at the pass.

Allen October 5, 2006 7:09 pm (Pacific time)

This is equal to hiring an outfield coach because your catcher is blind.

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