Martinsburg Mayor Reads Report on Drug Initiatives

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The struggle against the heroin epidemic plaguing the Mountain State was once again a hot topic at Thursday night’s Martinsburg City Council meeting.

Several members of the public stressed their concerns that they haven’t heard any updates from the council on their plans of action to deal with the issue, with one man even providing a petition with 1,000 signatures requesting answers from the city.

Mayor George Karos stated during his report that the city has been working very closely with the Martinsburg Police Department as well as the Board of Education to solve the crisis in tandem.

Karos said they have created a “Three-Tier Approach” to dealing with the issue.

The first tier is enforcement, and Karos proudly proclaimed that the direction the MPD has been heading in has been extremely beneficial to both the city and county.

Next is treatment, where Karos said the city has been working with other agencies to incorporate more treatment options for the public.

He said they have been communicating with the new Resource Coordinator with the county to figure out what options are available.

The final tier is prevention, and Karos commended the Berkeley County Board of Education for their work with the youth and their parents to educate local citizens about the dangers of drug use and preventative measures.

Mayor Karos said, “You can be sure this council is in support of a treatment facility,” and that they are simply trying to make sure it’s services will benefit everyone to the fullest extent.