Since the latter part of 2009, law enforcement officials have been seeing a change of the type of drugs being used and smuggled in the region, including through Maverick County.

What once was the norm, is no longer what the community is experiencing when it comes to the type of drugs now embedded in our neighborhoods. Narcotics such a Methamphetamines are more commonly seen in our local law enforcement agencies’ arrest books.

This began to take shape in 2009 and has continued up to now, clearly coinciding with the arrival of thousands of workers related to the Eagle Ford Shale Play boom into the area that brought promise and

unfortunately, social ills as well.

During 2010 and until this day, a noticeable change has been seen in the number of arrests of individuals with heavier dosages of narcotics besides marijuana.

“This is always concerning,” says Sheriff Tom Schmerber. “ We have seen throughout the years a change in the type of drugs being caught. This narcotics are very dangerous and could cost you your life,” Sheriff Schmerber states that as the community is growing so does the prevalence for high crime and the type of drugs being smuggled and used. Add on other factors and you begin to see patterns of crime and problems such as a higher prevalence of overdose and suicidal tendencies as well.

What’s known is that the type of crimes seen in our community has been increasing, including the types of drugs being caught which include Synthetic Marijuana, Heroin, Methamphetamines among other heavier and toxic drugs not seen in the past.

“This is a problem that has been on-going for numerous years and we as law enforcement officials do everything in our power to fight those social ills and pray for anyone afflicted by these problems,” added Schmerber.