Press Release: Courtesy of 6th Judicial Circuit, Scott County, Indiana
On Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013, the Mid-America Science Park in Scottsburg hosted a Prescription Drug Diversion Training put on by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and the Scott County Prosecutor’s Office.
The program was open to investigative officers and prosecutors, and covered topics related to prescription medications, including abuse identification, drug overdose deaths, “Pill Mill” investigations, Doctor Shopping and the INSPECT program.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has sponsored this program in various locations around the state, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville and Merrillville. Officers from around Southeastern Indiana were invited to attend in Scottsburg. Attendance included officers and prosecutors from Clark, Dearborn, Dubois, Floyd, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Marion, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Steuben and Washington Counties, and Jefferson County, Ky., including several State Police and members of the Attorney General’s Office.
“This was a valuable training for area law enforcement,” stated Scott County Prosecutor Jason Mount. “Prescription medication crime is a serious issue that leads to other crimes such as burglaries, thefts and robberies. Further, fatal overdose from abuse of these drugs is on the rise. Any additional tools we can learn to combat this epidemic are crucial.”
Attendance numbers at the Scottsburg event exceeded attendance at all of the other, more urban, regional locations. “I was greatly pleased with the turnout. Over 75 officers were here for this training,” Mount stated. “This speaks to the severity of the prescription medication problem in this part of the state, and the dedication of our law enforcement to try and do everything we can to combat it.”
“Having such a great turnout also provided us an opportunity to show off our local facilities. I would like to thank the Mid-America Science Park for allowing us to hold this there. The facility was perfectly suited to our needs. I also thank the Attorney General’s Office for allowing Scott County to host.”
The Scott County Prosecutor’s Office hopes to partner with the Attorney General’s Office again next year to bring an advanced Prescription Medication Training back to the area.
