Preble County tops list of heroin seizures

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COLUMBUS — In the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) released its 2016 Crime Analysis Report Preble County ranked high in more than one category.

Statistics dealing with drugs displayed a large jump from 2015-2016 in the amounts seized by the OSHP.

In 2016, the Patrol recorded over 13,300 drug-related arrests and seized over 1.9 million grams of illegal narcotics, including the largest heroin seizure (59.5 pounds), the largest methamphetamine seizure (21.6 pounds), and the largest scheduled-prescription pill seizure (33,230 dosage units) in the Patrol’s history. Thousands of commonly abused and illegally trafficked prescription pills such as Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Alprazolam, and many others were also confiscated by OSHP officers, according to the report.

Although the report provides statistics on several drug types, one striking statistic deals with heroin seizures.

OSHP Officers seized 167.5 pounds of heroin in 2016 which was 315.6 percent more than in 2015 and the largest amount in the last five years.

The five counties with the highest amounts were Preble, Franklin, Madison, Montgomery, and Summit, and they accounted for 77.4 percent of heroin seized in 2016. There were 25 cases involving at least one pound of heroin seized in 2016. Although the number of cases involving a heroin seizure increased each year from 2012 to 2015, the number of heroin cases in 2016 was 2.8 percent fewer than 2015.

In 2016, officers seized 95.0 pounds of methamphetamine. This was 1,229.8 percent more than 2015 and also the largest amount seized in the last five years. Seizures from Preble, Wood, Franklin, Montgomery, and Madison Counties accounted for 83 percent of all methamphetamine seized in 2016.

OSHP seized 3,613.3 pounds of marijuana in 2016 which was 29.7 percent more than 2015, but only the third highest amount since 2012. The five counties with the highest amounts of marijuana seized (Wood, Madison, Preble, Montgomery, and Lucas) accounted for 72.8percent of all 2016 marijuana seizures, according to the report.

The increase in drugs seized in 2016 over 2015 is extensive. The report provides data for the number of grams of cocaine, crack, heroin, meth and marijuana.

In 2015, in Preble County, two grams of cocaine, no crack, 547 grams of heroin, less than one gram of meth, and 71,136 grams of marijuana were seized.

In 2016, according to the report, in Preble County 1,707 grams of cocaine, no grams of crack, 30,021 grams of heroin, 16,625 grams of meth and 217,357 grams of marijuana were seized.

When it comes to pills, the report provides statistics on opiates, depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants.

In 2015, in Preble County, the report shows 81 doses of opiate, 8 doses of depressants, no hallucinogens, and 27 doses of stimulants were seized.

In 2016, those numbers in Preble County fell to 27 doses of opiates, but increased to 109 doses of depressants and 72 doses of stimulants.

The Patrol’s Statistical Analysis Unit (SAU) produces the annual report of criminal arrest activity. The report summarizes 2016 statistics and compares them to prior years as part of an ongoing effort to monitor the Division’s efforts to impact criminal activity through enforcement. Data was collected from five sources: the OSHP Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system; PremierOne (P1) system; OSHP Ohio Trooper Information System (OTIS); Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU) Ohio Agent Secure Information System (OASIS); and the SAU Pill Seizure Database.

Preble County topped the list of Ohio counties in heroin seizures last year.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_1HeroinOSP.jpgPreble County topped the list of Ohio counties in heroin seizures last year.

By Eddie Mowen Jr.

Civitas Media

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