Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton says community engagement and a thoughtful response are what is needed to deal with the issues they face in the county.
He said people may not want to acknowledge it, but there is a heroin epidemic throughout the entire county.
His deputies have saved 15 lives since they began carrying a drug that reverses the effects of an overdose since last summer.
Sheriff Clayton says mental health issues are also a challenge his department has to deal with.
He says they have partnered with community mental health experts and established crisis intervention programs so there are options for people dealing with a mental health problem.
He also spoke about an emergency communications millage renewal that will be on the local ballot for the March 8th election.
He is urging approval of the ballot question and said it enhances the infrastructure of first responders and improves the way they deal with crime and emergency situations.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter@LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
