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Survey: Teen Smoking at Historic Lows But Marijuana Use High

Bob Eichinger — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:23:31 +0000

Survey: Teen Smoking at Historic Lows But Marijuana Use High

Published December 14, 2011

Reuters

Cigarette and alcohol use among teens is at the lowest level in decades, but marijuana use is on the rise, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

Just under 19 percent of high school seniors said they smoked cigarettes in the past month compared to a peak rate of 36.5 percent in the mid-1990s, results from the National Institutes of Health Monitoring the Future survey showed.

Rates of cigarette smoking among all teens surveyed decreased compared to last year’s results.

Researchers said 100 percent smoke-free locations and higher cigarette prices helped drive down the number of teen smokers.

Although alcohol remains popular among teens, rates of underage and binge drinking showed significant declines, researchers said.

Overall, cigarette and alcohol usages by teens are at the lowest points since the first survey was taken in 1975.

Marijuana use among teens rose in 2011 for the fourth straight year — a sharp contrast to a dramatic decline that occurred in the preceding decade.

Daily marijuana use is at a 30-year peak level among high school seniors, the survey found.

Monitoring the Future is an annual survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Nearly 47,000 students from 400 public and private schools were polled in classrooms earlier this year.

Among 12th graders, 36.4 percent said they smoked marijuana in the past year and 6.6 percent reported daily use, it found.

The 2011 survey for the first time included questions about use of synthetic marijuana, a blend of herbs and spices laced with chemicals and commonly branded Spice or K2.

More than 11 percent of high school seniors reported using the synthetic substance in the past year, it found.

Until recently, K2 and Spice were sold legally online, in gas stations and other shops. Earlier this year federal regulators banned some of the synthetic chemicals.

Next year researchers said they expect to ask questions about bath salts, an increasingly popular street drug that mimics the effects of drugs like LSD or cocaine.

Monitoring the Future is one of three major surveys used by federal health officials to monitor data on youth substance abuse.

From DCSO – Double-fatal auto accident in Pawling this morning.

Bob Eichinger — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:28:44 +0000

DUTCHESS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Poughkeepsie, New York

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Lt. John Watterson

845-486-3860

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports the investigation into a one-car double-fatal auto accident, which occurred on West Dover Rd in the Town of Pawling at approximately 2:25 am on 12/10/11.

Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the area of West Dover Rd near River Rd in response to a 911 call for an auto accident, and upon arrival there was one car rolled over with two injured occupants inside. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, and investigation has revealed their identities to be Tiffiny Holder (age 24 of Pawling) and George Mooers 3^rd (age 31 of Wingdale).

The investigation is continuing however preliminary investigation has revealed that the vehicle, a 2002 Honda Accord, was being operated northbound on West Dover Rd when it exited the roadway while going through a curve. The vehicle then struck an embankment, overturned, and struck a tree before coming to final rest off of the eastern side of the roadway. It appears as though Miss Holder was the vehicle operator and Mr. Mooers was the front seat passenger, and both subjects appear to have been wearing their seatbelts. Investigation into the exact cause(s) of the crash is continuing, however at this time it appears as though unsafe speed was a significant factor.

The investigation is continuing by members of the Sheriff’s Office Crash Investigation Unit, and more information may be provided as it becomes available. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, the Pawling Fire Department, and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Crack Cocaine Arrest in Dover Plains from PJ.com

Bob Eichinger — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:25:10 +0000

DOVER PLAIN — A two-month-long investigation is continuing after two people were arrested in a weekend drug bust, police stated.

Kevin Madisson, 27, of the Bronx, and Crystal McNeil, 20, of Wassaic, were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony.

The pair were arrested Saturday after a no-knock search warrant was carried out at an apartment on Mill Street around 5 a.m., according the Dutchess County Drug Task Force. Police reported recovering forty bags of crack cocaine, $1,000 and an unknown amount of heroin and Vicodin during the bust.

Police said additional arrests were pending.

Madisson and McNeil were sent to Dutchess County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or bond and scheduled to appear in Town of Dover Court at 3 p.m. on Dec. 7.

Poughquag Man Arrested in Carmel for Sale of Cocaine and MDMA from LOHUD.com

Bob Eichinger — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:47:23 +0000

CARMEL — A Dutchess County man faces felony charges in the sale of cocaine and MDMA, a hallucinogenic drug, in town, police said.

James Telesco, 22, of Poughquag was arrested about 10:40 p.m. Wednesday after a three-month investigation by Officers Brian Shay, James Terrazas and Carmel detectives.

Police charged Telesco with two counts each of second-degree criminal sale and second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count each of third-degree criminal sale and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The charges are felonies.

He was arraigned before Town Justice Joseph Spofford, who sent him to the county jail without bail.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month from DCSO

Bob Eichinger — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:18:26 +0000

DUTCHESS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Poughkeepsie, New York

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Lt. John Watterson (845-486-3860)

Leah Feldman, Project Coordinator Universal Response to Domestic Violence (845-486-2335)

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Dutchess County Universal Response to Domestic Violence Steering Committee and the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, would like to take this time to inform everyone that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.

October is designated as a time to bring awareness to the community of the seriousness of domestic violence. During this month we keep domestic violence victims in our thoughts while also educating the community about domestic violence and the various services available for victims. In the past year and a half, there have been 5 domestic violence homicides in our community. One which resulted in the murder of a City of Poughkeepsie Police Officer, demonstrating the significant affect that domestic violence has not just on the parties involved, but on the community as a whole. In addition, in 2010 there were 5154 incidents of domestic violence reported to police agencies in Dutchess County, this is nearly 14 incidents per day. 879 of these incidents resulted in arrests. Domestic violence is prevalent in our community and is taken extremely seriously in Dutchess County. There are a variety of services and multidisciplinary collaborations available in the county to increase safety for victims and accountability for offenders. The Universal Response to Domestic Violence Steering Committee is a multidisciplinary group which maintains a coordinated community response to domestic violence in Dutchess County by creating, implementing, and monitoring formal protocols for case management among criminal justice, civil justice, law enforcement, and human service agencies that work with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Other collaborations such as the Domestic Abuse Response Team, the Crime Victim Specialist at the New York State Police, and the Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistant at the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, place domestic violence advocates directly in-house to offer services to victims as soon as possible after a domestic violence incident. These collaborations have helped to develop programs to assist victims in finding safety. For example, the Enhanced Victim Notification System is a collaborative project between the Sheriff’s Office, the Dutchess County Jail, Family Services’ Battered Women’s Services, and the District Attorney’s Office that allow victim’s to monitor the status of an offender throughout the arrest process and then be notified and supported by a domestic violence advocate when the offender is released from custody.

The result of an increase in domestic violence homicides in the County has been heightened fear and concern for Dutchess County residents and their friends and family. Everyone can play a role in starting conversations about domestic violence in our lives and communities so we can create opportunities for our family, friends, and loved ones to seek support from us and share what is happening in their homes and in their relationships. During this month of October please take the time to remember those who have been lost to domestic violence and those that continue to suffer abuse in their homes. Dutchess County provides many resources for victims of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please reach out for help.

Family Services’ Battered Women’s Services – 845-485-5550

Family Services’ Crime Victim’s Assistance Program- 845-452-7272

Grace Smith House, Inc. – 845-471-3033

House of Faith/House of Hope- 845-765-0293

Dutchess County Help Line- 877-485-9700

Update on Pawling Teen Fatal Accident from DCSO

Bob Eichinger — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:02:39 +0000

DUTCHESS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Poughkeepsie, New York

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Lt. John Watterson

845-486-3860

**UPDATE TO FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT**

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of Michael S. Herman, age 17 of Pawling, as a result of the investigation into the one-car fatal auto accident in Pawling from 10/12/11.

Mr. Herman was arrested on 10/13/11 at approximately 6:00 pm after being released from St. Francis Hospital, where he had been treated for non-life threatening injuries that he suffered in the accident. Mr. Herman was the operator of the vehicle when he lost control and crashed into a tree, after which the passenger (Christian Rohor) died at the scene. Mr. Herman is accused of operating the vehicle while impaired by the combined use of drugs and alcohol.

Mr. Herman has been charged with Vehicular Manslaughter in the 2^nd Degree (Class D felony), Driving While Intoxicated (misdemeanor), Reckless Driving (misdemeanor), and Unsafe Speed (traffic infraction). Mr. Herman was arraigned at the Town of Pawling Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. The investigation is continuing and more information may be released as it becomes available.

DCSO Update on Arrest Made in Pawling Teen Fatal Car Accident on 10/12/11

Bob Eichinger — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:17:48 +0000

DUTCHESS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Poughkeepsie, New York

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Lt. John Watterson

845-486-3860

**UPDATE TO FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT**

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of Michael S. Herman, age 17 of Pawling, as a result of the investigation into the one-car fatal auto accident in Pawling from 10/12/11.

Pawling 19 year old teen killed in a one-car accident on West Main Street in Village. 17 year old teen taken to hospital. Possible factors are alcohol and speeding.

Bob Eichinger — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:57:06 +0000

From PJ.com

PAWLING — A Pawling teen was killed in a one-car crash Wednesday night on West Main Street in the village, authorities said.

Christian Rohor, 19, died at the scene, police said.

The crash occurred about 11 p.m. near Sheridan Drive, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office said in a written release.

A Sheriff’s Office deputy found the accident while on patrol, moments after it occurred. The deputy found a 2000 Dodge Dakota pickup truck with two occupants that had crashed into a tree.

Rohor was a passenger in the pickup truck, police said.

Unsafe speed and alcohol involvement are possible factors in the crash, a preliminary police investigation indicated, but the cause is still under investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Police have not released the name of the 17-year-old driver, but said he is a Pawling resident. He was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in the Town of Poughkeepsie with non-life threatening injuries.

The Sheriff’s Office said criminal charges are pending.

State police and the Pawling fire department assisted the Sheriff’s Office at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office Crash Investigation Unit is continuing the investigation assistance from the county Medical Examiner’s Office and the county District Attorney’s Office.

Officials: Heroin use among young has risen sharply from PJ.com 08.14.11

Bob Eichinger — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:01:46 +0000

Officials: Heroin use among young has risen sharply from PJ.com 08.14.11

When Pawling teenager Shane Smith was killed in a car-motorcycle accident in July 2009, police discovered the 21-year-old man who was driving the car was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

The substance Johnson had ingested wasn’t alcohol or cocaine. It was heroin.

And in the two years since then, police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and substance abuse counselors say, heroin use among young people in Dutchess County has increased substantially.

“Heroin has become a middle-class phenomenon here,” said Michael North, director of the county Department of Mental Hygiene’s Intensive Treatment Alternative Program. ITAP is a drug rehabilitation program for those accused or convicted of crimes.

North said about 28 percent of his clients had heroin addictions in 2009, but the number has risen to more than 50 percent this year.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s peaked yet, either,” North said.

Those who are arresting and prosecuting drug users and traffickers say they’ve been seeing heroin use grow for at least three years.

“In 2008, about 25 percent of our cases involved heroin. Now, it’s about 60 percent,” said Frank Tasciotti, a coordinator of the Dutchess County Drug Task Force.

Tasciotti and Brett Orlich, another member of the task force, attributed the rise in heroin use to the easy availability of opium-based prescription drugs such as Oxycontin and Vicodin.

“Young people are getting hooked on those drugs, then if they can’t get them, they turn to heroin,” Orlich said.

He said many of those who become addicted don’t know how dangerous the drug can be.

“With a lot of drugs, if you take too much, you pass out,” Orlich said. “With heroin, you OD and you’re dead. It’s a very unforgiving drug.”

Dutchess County Senior Assistant Public Defender David Martin said heroin had become the “drug of choice” for many of his clients.

“We’re seeing a brand-new bunch of people — young people from the suburbs — showing up in court with heroin addictions,” Martin said.

Aviv Segal, a prosecutor with the county district attorney’s Narcotics Bureau, said the price of heroin has dropped steadily as supplies have increased in the past three or four years, leading more young people to try it.

“And the thing about heroin is how quickly it’s addictive,” the prosector said. “There are very few recreational heroin users out there.”

“Crime Beat,” which explores law enforcement issues and cases worked by police in the Mid-Hudson Valley, appears each Monday. To suggest a topic, call 845-437-4834. Reach Larry Hertz at lhertz@poughkee.gannett.com at 845-437-4824.

GOT A CLUE? DC SHERIFF’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW TIP LINE FEATURES

Bob Eichinger — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:27:39 +0000

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DUTCHESS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Poughkeepsie, New York

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Lt. John Watterson

845-486-3860

GOT A CLUE? SHERIFF’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW TIP LINE FEATURES

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office wishes to announce the establishment of a new mechanism to take in tips from the public, one which will be both convenient for the public to use and free of charge to the Sheriff’s Office and Dutchess County residents. This new tip line can be used to give the Sheriff’s Office information on any type of situation including criminal activity, current investigations, wanted or missing persons, and drug activity just to name a few examples.

The tip line will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has the capability of receiving phone calls, texts, or emails. The service has been established by the Sheriff’s Office utilizing Google technology, and allows the members of the public who may have a crime tip to notify the police in different ways. Historically tip lines were set up only temporarily to deal with a specific case or incident, and were available for voice only (no texts, no emails). Now with this new service, the tip line will be functional all of the time and can receive tips on any case or topic using whichever medium the caller chooses (voice, text, or email). It is more convenient for the callers, and takes full advantage of the different communication methods available through the current technology. Having a tip line with this capability allows the police to receive tips in a much more efficient manner, while providing more convenience and an increased sense of security to the callers.

The phone number for the tip line is 845-605-CLUE (2583), and the email address is DCSOTips@gmail.com. Callers can call in or text their tip to the phone number, and/or email the tip to the email address. Informational materials regarding the tip line will be disseminated at the Sheriff’s Office display booth at the upcoming Dutchess County Fair, as well as other future venues. The tip line is available any at time during any day/night, and all calls will be kept confidential.

Additional Information on this Announcement

Members of the press,

One point of clarification to the last press release that I sent regarding the tip line—the service itself has been provided free of charge to the Sheriff’s Office and Dutchess County residents, however standard text messaging rates do apply and the callers will have to pay whichever fee their cell phone company charges when they send texts or make the calls. What I meant by saying it was a free service in the release was that the service has been provided free of charge and that would have no impact on the taxpayers of Dutchess County, however when they call into it they will need to pay their standard cell phone fees just like when they make any other call. The way I put it in the release was a bit confusing, I apologize.

Lt. Watterson

Lt. John A. Watterson
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office
150 No. Hamilton St
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
(845) 486-3860
(845) 452-2987 Fax
email: jwatterson@co.dutchess.ny.us

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