AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s public safety commissioner said the current administration already has taken steps to address continued increases in property crimes that are directly related to drug addiction, but he said police alone cannot solve the problem.

John Morris, who has been on the job only for a few months, said the overall 2010 crime statistics for Maine that were released Wednesday confirmed what most public safety officials have known: More robberies, burglaries and thefts are being committed, particularly in rural Maine, by people who are feeding their drug habits.

From 2009 to 2010, the overall crime rate increased by 3.6 percent, fueled largely by increases in robberies (4.3 percent), burglaries (8.6 percent) and thefts (2.4 percent).

Morris said Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget commits to fully funding the Maine State Police, something that has not been done in years. The governor’s budget also includes an extra $700,000 to maintain staffing at the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, which has lost federal grant funding recently.

Adequate public safety resources are just one step to curbing Maine’s drug-related crimes, though. Education and treatment play a big role, too, Morris said.

“Prescription drugs are overprescribed,” he said, relaying his own personal experience recently in which he was prescribed painkillers for a month but needed them only for about a week. “There needs to be a better partnership between doctors and public safety officials. Doctors are only doing what they think is right, but I think there is an opportunity to have a conversation.”

Morris said when the current legislative session ends, he intends to put together a group of public safety, education and health care officials to brainstorm ideas for how to reduce drug-related criminal behavior.

Reprinted with permission from the Bangor Daily News.

Copy the Story Link