Local law enforcement officers continue to do the hard work of disrupting the flow of fentanyl to our region. Last month, they did so in spectacular fashion, in one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Washington County, with an estimated street value of $80,000.

Washington County Sheriff’s Det. Peters with the help of K9 Timmy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by a Belpre man.

Peters picked up on how nervous the man appeared and how many mistakes he was making. When the man consented to a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a soda box in the trunk concealing approximately 834 grams of fentanyl and more than $3,000.

According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, 2022 overdose-related mortality rates for those between the ages of 25 and 54 were 64% higher than the rest of the country. The ARC has put together a county-by-county map that shows Washington County has an overdose mortality rate of 41.2 per 100,000 population. Surrounding counties fare no better.

And while there are many policy-based ways to address that challenge, those on the front lines — our law enforcement officers — are in the dangerous position of having to make these kinds of stops, seizures and arrests regularly.

Kudos to Peters and Timmy, and the entire Washington County Sheriff’s Office. But they are not alone, and there will be many more such arrests until those policy efforts make a dent. Thank you, folks, for the difficult and dangerous work you are doing in this fight.