Justin Kirkpatrick, a captain with the Glasgow Police Department, speaks during a roundtable event about drugs and substance abuse held at the Barren Co. Board of Education on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022.
(BRENNAN D. CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
BY BRENNAN D. CRAIN, WCLU News
GLASGOW — During a roundtable discussion held Thursday afternoon at the Barren County Board of Education, community stakeholders discussed the growing threat of certain drugs across the area and the crumbling child welfare system.
The roundtable was hosted by members of the Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention – ASAP. Brett Guthrie, Kentucky’s Second Congressional District representative, was at the discussion alongside state and local officials.
While many aspects of the local drug problem were discussed, substances like fentanyl and controlled prescription pills dominated the discussion.
“Drugs, at this point, progress like technology,” said Daniel Priddy, a public information office with Kentucky State Police. “Every day it’s something new.”
Representatives from area schools, counseling services and the local judiciary said children and drugs have crossed paths in more recent years as parents and older generations create a pathway for the cross-over. One therapist recounted a recent case where a 2-year-old child underwent drug testing.
But where do these drugs come from? Officials continue to track those sources.
The Interstate 65 corridor is a major pathway, according to earlier reports from the local drug task force. Beyond the local distribution is a tunnel of drug trafficking from various areas.
Priddy described a presentation called “Hidden in Plain Sight,” which acquaints school employees and caregivers with various drugs. Priddy said he presented about the harmful effects of fentanyl-laced oxycodone at an Edmonson County school and an overdose happened a month later.
“It’s a danger to us. It’s a danger to anybody that’s around that stuff,” he said. “So, you need to know exactly what you’re looking at and what you find.”
Steve Riley, the representative for Barren County in the Kentucky House of Representatives, said he co-sponsored a bill last session that increased the punishment for fentanyl dealers. It was named “Dalton’s Law” in remembrance of Dalton Bishop, a Glasgow resident who died of a fentanyl overdose in late 2020.
Justin Kirkpatrick, a captain with Glasgow Police, described an uptick in wandering children on city streets. Officials said area social workers are handling more cases than ever.
“They can’t handle much more,” said Krissie Fields, Barren County Circuit Court clerk. “They’re at breaking points. Caseloads of 150 cases – how can they possibly manage that many families?”
In a plea to the state and federal lawmakers at the meeting, locals advocated for more funding toward programs needed to help addicts and families. Programs at the local jail and at some counseling services extend some help, but a major need continues to exist.
“We have to let these folks know that they’re important to us,” said Micheal Hale, Barren County judge/ executive. “That they’re needed. That the community loves them regardless of if they’re from this community or another community.”
