LIVERMORE – Trooper Michael Chavez of the Maine State Police addressed the Livermore Crimewatch organization Wednesday night, saying that last year for the first time in Maine, drug overdoses outnumbered highway deaths, 178 to 168.

The reasons: There are more meth labs, burglaries to obtain drug money and more drugs being cultivated indoors, he said.

The Crimewatch group was formed to develop a rapport with state police and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department, which provide services to the town. Last year, Livermore had 341 calls to the state police alone.

Chavez said he would like the organization to educate the community to know the difference between which incidents are crimes and which are civil issues.

Most crimes happen because there are targets of opportunity, he said, and most of them in Livermore are solved by just plain detective work such as talking with witnesses, following footprints, collecting fingerprints and similar investigative techniques.

The Crimewatch group’s goals this year include focusing on the areas where most of the complaints originate, as well as an intersection that needs a stop sign or more lighting. Others are to learn what kinds of crimes are being committed and encouraging people to be more observant.

“‘It doesn’t matter to me until it happens to me.’ That’s what most people say,” said Rene Grondin, a Crimewatch block captain.

Livermore Crimewatch meets once a month at the the town office. For more information phone Grondin at 897-3046.