The people on the front line battling illegal drugs in Vermilion County say heroin is back stronger than ever. Vermilion Metropolitan Enforcement (VMEG) Director Lisa Mitchell and Agent Pat Alblinger were guests on WDAN Radio’s Newsmakers program Wednesday.
Alblinger has been working undercover fighting the drug problem the past twelve years. And he says what upsets him the most is when authorities find kids in the house. ‘’And that’s where, as a police officer and as a human being, I get pretty angry about things like that,’’ said Alblinger. ‘’Because, it’s one thing for an adult to be doing the things that they’re doing at the house – selling drugs, making drugs there. But to involve the little people, who have basically no voice in what’s going on – that’s bothersome to me,’’ added Alblinger.
Sergeant Mitchell says the drug problem seems to come in waves. ‘’We had a problem years ago with heroin. It kind of went away for awhile,’’ said Mitchell, ‘’and now it’s back stronger than ever right now. Heroin – and we still have a meth problem here. We actually have seen our meth labs drop a little bit this year and we’re finally thankful for that. In 2016 Vermilion County was still number one in the state of Illinois for meth lab seizures. That’s the third year in a row that we’ve been number one,’’ noted Mitchell.
And Mitchell says if you suspect illegal drug activity in your neighborhood – call VMEG at (217) 443-1466. Callers are not asked their identity.
You can also call the same number if you are interested in possibly becoming an agent. Mitchell says they have received a small grant and are in the process of recruiting another agent.
