The growing drug problem on the Blood Tribe is forcing police to take action. The service has formed a new “Crime Reduction Unit”, specifically devoted to combating the rise in Fentanyl and Counterfeit Oxy 80.
Joseph Many Fingers heads the CRU, and is one of the main men responsible for putting a stop to drug trafficking on the reserve.
“It’s gathering a lot of intel,” said Many Fingers. “It’s knowing who’s coming in, knowing who are users are and trying to build cases up from there.”
CRU was formed in response to 10 deaths in the area, in just the past six months, due to prescription drug abuse. The goal is to target the dealers and traffickers.
Even though the three-man unit is just a couple of months old, it has already experienced success. The team has gathered information on drug trafficking all throughout the Blood Tribe, and have charged 12 people, but it hasn’t been without challenges.
“The users and dealers are always looking out for one another,” said Many Fingers. “So they’re always watching each other’s backs and letting them know when the police are around.”
In a smaller community with so many familiar faces, it’s easier for dealers to see police coming.
“Everyone knows who we are out here,” said Many Fingers. “So in order for us to gather intelligence and do any sort of surveillance it’s really tough.”
The unit has been successful in banning some outside traffickers from the reserve, but Many Fingers knows there is still a lot of work to be done, some of which could take the form of rehabilitation.
“We need to target prescription drug abuse and there has to be something in place for those that are abusers, some sort of treatment.”
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