By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

While all the county police departments participate in the Safe Passage program, which helps addicts in recovery, while allowing them to turn in all drugs and paraphernalia without the fear of charges being brought against them, a serious warning has been placed against the dealers who are moving the drugs throughout the area.

Sheriff Tony Childress was a guest on a recent Community Forum and said, while the vast majority of overdose cases were saved through the use of Narcan, there were 14 overdose deaths in 2017.

“You must understand that we are still going to do our job. If you are dealing this stuff, we’re going to know about it, because the streets talk and the sheriff listens and my people listen, and we’re going to find out about it and we’re going to come after you. I have a very very effective drug unit and investigative unit at the sheriff’s office and I have a very effective patrol unit. We are going to our job. So, you must know if you are going to our job, so you must know, if you are going to take the choice to deal drugs in Livingston County, we are going to come after you,” Childress said.

The forums with Childress are available at wjez.com.