Despite the emergency legislation going through, John Cleveland, a case manager at the Community for Creative Non-Violence, said two people overdosed outside of D.C.’s largest homeless shelter on Tuesday.
“It’s an everyday thing,” he said. “Some days, it’s maybe one, maybe two. Some days, it’s three or four.”
Cleveland said one man who is seen nearby the shelter is constantly under the influence. Less than two days ago, he was arrested for throwing metal clippers through wired glass and shattering the glass all over the employees.
“He must have threw it with a lot of force because it went through,” said Cleveland. “Well, I say when they are smoking that, they get stronger.”
Crews installed a sturdier material to protect employees, especially from people who are under the influence of synthetic drugs and turn violent.
“It is bad for people to be out here using,” said D.C. resident Eric Shepcotk. “I don’t support it, but at the same time, you can treat it like a mental illness as opposed to a crime.”
Although users are not being arrested, the suppliers could face criminal penalty. It is a sanction insufficient in Cleveland’s eyes.
“You can close down all the stores that you want to, but they will go to Maryland, Virginia or people will bring it to them,” he said. “What you need to start doing is move the people out, so that people have nowhere to sell it. That will be a start.
“When you’re moving people out and you’re closing the stores, that will cause them to flee and go elsewhere.”
Although the legislation has sanctions in place for merchants and their stores, there is still no legislation in the District that would penalize an individual caught selling these drugs out on the streets, which could end up being the larger problem for police.
Fox News • Washington, DC
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/29441233/dc-synthetic-drugs
