Salem police confiscated drugs and weapons in raid at house

By D.a. Wilkinson

The county prosecutor had pressed for an in-county treatment center.

SALEM — Police Chief Robert Floor said Thursday that the house at 1571‚Ñ2 W. Fifth St. is in a nice neighborhood.

Police raided it Wednesday night because they suspected people were selling drugs from it.

Inside the door were two loaded handguns and a shotgun “at the ready,” said Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron.

That means the guns were there in case someone tried to rip off the alleged dealers, he said.

Heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine were found inside the apartment, according to authorities.

The Youngstown Area Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Columbiana County Drug Task Force and Salem police took part in the raid. Salem has an officer assigned to each task force. Law enforcement officials realized that they were working on the same case and cooperated.

No one was charged.

Herron said that the confiscated drugs have to be tested to make sure they are illegal, which can take several months. Any indictments would come through the county grand jury.

One of the suspects at the apartment is from Mahoning County and another is from Trumbull County.

Floor said the police action was in response to a “huge influx” of heroin to the county.

The problem of drug abuse is not going to go away, officials have said. A group in the county is creating a long-term plan to deal with drugs throughout the county.

Herron has previously called for the creation of an in-county treatment center to help abusers. Now, he said, abusers must go to other counties if they want treatment. The problem, Herron said, is that many of the abusers have no way to get to treatment facilities because they have lost their assets.

Heroin users “get very sick,” Herron said. “...they have to have their fix, so they are out boosting [stealing] stuff all day long. They are very, very sick. That’s the problem.”

Abusers in the county don’t have the money to buy their drugs in bulk, he said. Columbiana County does not see heroin bought in grams, which may cost about $200 each. Users instead buy very small amounts in the $20 range.

wilkinson@vindy.com