An article by David Hewitt, Chief of the Rising Sun Police Department

Some recent events have brought to light what local police officers have known for a long time…There are drugs in Rising Sun and Ohio County. Officers from the Rising Sun Police Department, Ohio County Sheriff’s Department and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Special Crimes Unit have been actively working drug-related cases in our area for quite some time, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
Several years ago, we conducted a several month investigation into the illegal sale of prescription drugs in Rising Sun with the help of one concerned citizen who was willing to step up. With his help, several people dealing prescription drugs were charged and arrested and it made our downtown area a much better place and helped lay the ground work to clean up Main Street.
But without the help of the community, concerned citizens and parents, all we can do as law enforcement is clean up the mess that drug use causes. We can do what we can to prevent drug use and illegal activity. We can put on programs in the schools, speak to civic groups, put on K9 demonstrations, but ultimately, when it comes to drug use and awareness for our students and young adults, it has to start at home, from the parents…Police, the legal system, and our educators can only do so much.
It’s up to the parents to be parents. Go through your kid’s cell phone, see who they’re texting and calling! Check their email and myspace or facebook accounts! Look through their book bags and back packs! Go through their cars! Know who their friends are, who they’re hanging out with. Get to know your kid’s friend’s parents, communicate with them…As parents; we have a responsibility to do all those things.
Will that be popular with our kids? Absolutely not, but it’s our job! Too many of us want to be our kid’s friend or best buddy and none of us want to be the “bad guy”, but it’s time that we do. A lot of parents have the attitude that it’s “not my kid” when confronted with tough issues like drug and alcohol use. Then when it turns out to be the case, they want to lay the blame on the teachers, law enforcement or the legal system rather than looking in the mirror.
No one in the law enforcement community is turning a blind eye to the issues we have here, but we can’t work on these problems alone. We need you to help! If you think your child, grandchild, neighbor or friend is involved with illegal activity, please report it. It helps if we have as much detail as possible and it gives police a head start into the investigation process.
Generic, anonymous letters saying things such as “there is a drug problem in Rising Sun, do something about it” don’t do much to help. You can remain anonymous when giving tips, but I’d challenge you to not be afraid, get involved in your community, your school, your neighborhood and your kid’s life and step up and do the right thing. Too many of us don’t want to get involved and then sit back and complain when nothing happens…We are all responsible when we don’t act and do the right thing. So, what about you? Are you willing to help out?