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Drug Culture In Lee’s Summit
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Drug Culture In Lee’s Summit
August 11, 2012
By Jessica Root
Intern reporter for the Tribune
On Wednesday morning, Lee’s Summit CARES held a Community Forum about the drug culture in Lee’s Summit. The meeting was held at Paradise Park, and it featured presentations by Roby Little, Director of Lee’s Summit Cares; Police Chief Joe Piccinini; Master Sergeant Jason Henke with the Missouri National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force; Laura DeCourcy, Lee’s Summit CARES Program Coordinator; and Dr. Matt Miller, Director of R-7 Student Services. There was also a panel discussion with local youth and School Resource Officers, Rodger Bowers and Robert Conard.
Chief Piccinini acknowledges that there is a drug culture in Lee’s Summit. He highlighted on the measures that are being taken to prevent the use of drugs amongst the youth. These measures include Red Ribbon Week, the DARE Program, Party Patrols, the Undercover Sting Operation and the Take Back Program.
Red Ribbon Week promotes kids being drug free as does the DARE Program. Party Patrols happen about 13 times throughout each year. Police officers search for parties around Lee’s Summit and bust them, often around prom and graduation time. The Undercover Sting Operation involves businesses that sell alcohol. Police will send a minor into a store to try to buy alcohol in order to see if the store clerk will sell to a minor. The Take Back Program is supported by Hy-Vee and St. Luke’s East. Lee’s Summit residents can take their out-of-date drugs to these sites for proper disposal so teens do not use them.
With all the positive efforts Lee’s Summit is practicing against drugs, the drug culture should be very minimal. It isn’t. The youth is still getting involved with drugs and alcohol at younger and younger ages.
“There is nothing more powerful than local people fixing local problems,” Master Sergeant Henke said. “We all benefit from anti-drug use.”
Lee’s Summit citizens in attendance of the Community Forum included local business owners. Chief Piccinini believes that businesses are more involved now in promoting anti-drug use. Reliable employees that don’t show up to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol are more desirable than those who show up to work high or hung-over.
The drug culture in Lee’s Summit will not be dissolved overnight. A process called the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) is being used by the coalition. It’s a proven process found effective in creating positive community change. The SPF is a simple five step process including assessment, capacity, planning, implementation and evaluation.
First the root of the problem must be assessed. In this case, kids are gaining possession of drugs too easily. The youth panel voiced that kids get drugs from college students who are the “dealers”. Kids are also attending parties with parent chaperones that support under aged drinking.
Second, the coalition looks to see if they have the proper representation from the community to do something about the problem. This is called the capacity. This is also where the various measures highlighted by Chief Piccinini come into play.
Third, the coalition constructs a plan that is then implemented and later evaluated. If it works, it works. If not, it’s back to step one until something does work.
Lee’s Summit is not going to give up on making a change in the drug culture in the community because Lee’s Summit cares.
Lee’s Summit CARES will have a follow up meeting on October 3.
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