Just over a month after Hamilton County law enforcement officials asked a judge to grant immunity for people turning in heroin and drug paraphernalia the sheriff's department has its first example of somebody doing it.
Early Sunday morning an anonymous person came into District 5 in Anderson Township and surrendered:
- Two hypodermic needles
- Five glass crack pipes
- Four metal crack pipes
- Five plastic straw containing drug residue
- Two push-rods
- A tie-off and chore-boy from the crack pipes
The immunity deal aims to get family and friends to come forward if they find drugs, but applies to anyone. Police will offer help finding treatment, even though the region's resources are strained by the recent increase.
At a September news conference Prosecutor Joe Deters said, "It's the family members, the people who are about the addict, who can really intervene and not be worried about prosecution."
In this case the person originally agreed to hold onto the drug items while their friend was in treatment. But deciding to make certain the friend never returned to using drugs they decided instead to turn the paraphernalia over to police.
Sheriff Jim Neil encourages others to participate. If drugs are involved police urge you just to call and they will come pick them up, given the hazardous nature of the synthetic drugs that heroin is often cut with.
Neil emphasizes the immunity only applies to cases where police don't find it first.