Hope you had a Happy MLK Day! TCFC Testifies at State Legislature; Nearly 30 Teens in Pima County Die By Fentanyl Overdose Since 2020
We hope you had a Happy MLK Day!
TCFC honors this day encouraging volunteerism!
"In 1994, under then-President Bill Clinton, it became the only federal holiday dedicated to volunteerism, after Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act. Americans are encouraged to observe the day "with acts of civic work and community service" in honor of King's legacy."
TCFC Testifies at invitation of State Legislator
TCFC testified to the JOINT LEGISLATIVE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL REVIEW COUNCIL on Wednesday, Jan 3rd in Phoenix. TCFC is looking to pass any changes in legislation with BIPARTISAN support to ensure that people who commit crimes to stay STUCK in the cycle of addiction, are provided options to break the cycle: drugs, crime, drugs, crime... But if unwilling to take the steps, need to go to jail and get treatment for addiction, in jail/custodial setting.
The Tucson Crime Free Coalition was invited by Senator Justine Wadsack (R) (Chair) to publicly testify to the Arizona State Senate's Joint Legislative Psychiatric Hospital Review Council. We traveled to the State Capital and testified on the impact of mental illness on our community as it relates to crime, poverty, and drug use and advocated for a changes to state law to allow for more comprehensive treatment of those with mental illness and chronic drug users including the establishment of court systems and involuntary custodial drug treatment of criminals outside of jail. A special thank you to Sen. Wadsack and Representative, Rep. Consuelo Hernandez (D). This is truly bipartisan work! We also thank the families who testified and the bipartisan committee on its dedication to the toll this is taking on our families and community.
Our testimony starts at: timestamp 2:53:20
CLICK HERE: https://www.azleg.gov/videoplayer/?eventID=2024011003
NO Steps taken since Tucson Mayor and Council Declaration of Fentanyl Emergency
On October 17th 2023, the Tucson City Council declared a "Fentanyl Emergency". Other than Pima County obtaining and distributing Narcan, neither the City nor County have taken any collaborative efforts or concrete steps to combat the fentanyl crisis. We continue to call for the creation of a dedicated Fentanyl Task Force headquartered in an emergency operations center to bring together all of the government entities that should be tasked with combating this crisis. The reason is simple: fentanyl in our community is the #1 killer (overdoses, pedestrian deaths, violence related to the drug trade, etc) along with all of the property-crime, mental illness, vagrancy, and chronic homelessness directly tied to fentanyl use. To the Council & Mayor and County- stop with the study sessions- get out of your government buildings and look at the havoc on the streets. Other states and municipalities have had success combatting fentanyl. Start taking action and adopt as the situation requires. Not taking action is not an option.
One theme that is now coming up on National Public Radio (NPR) last Friday is:
"[...Low barrier housing solutions where we house those without addressing their drug addition...] Without persistent accountability and public safety, housing merely becomes warehousing and unenforced laws encourage lawbreakers. Failure to divert high-risk behaviors from others who have lost their job, apartment or home only conflate the problem."
Well, I played with the records of Coroner’s Office on drug overdoses and did the KVOA reporter read the stats correctly? (I think the reason the Coroner’s records contain several other AZ counties is because the Pima County Coroner does work for those counties).
When I play with the graphs, it appears the 29 number is for years 2021-2022 only. When you plug in 2020-2023, you get 52, not 29? And when you plug in 2022-2023, the last recorded, most recent time period, you get 20, so that looks like 20 last year AND THAT IS ONLY 13-19 YEAR OLDS. AND THIS IS ONLY FENTANYL OVERDOSES. THE DESTRUCTION FROM FENTANYL, METH AND COKE IS TREMENDOUS.
EVEN ONE IS TOO MANY. BUT REMEMBER, DON’T READ THIS AS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS, OR EVEN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FENTANYL DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS.
And these are the deaths. Let me ask you how many ambulance calls, hospital stays, etc., etc., are related to drug overdoses? Tons and tons of money being spent on this.
IF TPD AND THE SO DO NOT HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE ON DRUG POSSESSION IN ANY USABLE AMOUNT, THEY ARE FAILING US. IF
Leave a comment