Chief Troy Bacon of the Frankfort Police Department talks Tuesday, April 19, 2016, about the increase in heroin use the department is seeing in the community. Bacon said the problem is all over Frankfort and not confined to one area. Bacon added that the police department needs the help of citizens in the community to address the crime associated with drug use. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)
Frankfort Police Department is enlisting help from community stakeholders to combat an alarming rise in drug overdoses.
To date, the city has seen a 133 percent spike in overdoses — from nine this time last year to 21 as of April 19, according to statistics provided by Chief Troy Bacon.
In response, the agency is inviting authorities in fields such as law enforcement, education and health to meet next week for a panel discussion on stemming what Bacon called an epidemic.
"You can't police away addiction. It just doesn’t work that way, and oftentimes we bear that responsibility," Bacon said. "But it’s a societal problem, it’s a health problem, and that’s why I wanted to have ... all these people together and say, 'What can we do as a community, if anything, to help affect this?'"
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