First Thursday Drug Recognition Presentation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 20, 2019

St. Helens, Ore. – St. Helens Officers Dylan Gaston and Jamin Coy will give a community presentation on drug recognition, focusing on the most common types of drugs used in St. Helens, at the St. Helens Police Department’s next First Thursday community meeting. The meeting will be held in the Columbia Center Auditorium, 375 S. 18th Street, on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m.

Officer Gaston is a member of the Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association (ONEA) and attended the ONEA Training Summit in 2017. Officer Coy and Gaston have worked closely with the Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team (CENT) and assisted with executing narcotics-related search warrants.

During their presentation, Officers Gaston and Coy will focus on sharing information about methamphetamine and heroin. Rules about marijuana use, including age restrictions and the legal amount and form of the drug, will also be discussed. This is an excellent opportunity for community members to bring any questions or concerns that they have related to legal or illegal drug use in St. Helens. The presentation will also cover how to identify drugs, drug paraphernalia commonly found with each type of drug, and some common indicators of people that are under the influence of each drug.

First Thursday is a monthly community meeting with the St. Helens Police Department held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. A new topic is presented at each meeting by a police officer or police staff related to community safety, crime prevention, police services, or seasonal-specific safety information. After a brief presentation, participants have the opportunity to ask St. Helens officers questions, find out what’s happening in St. Helens neighborhoods, and discuss any topics of concern with fellow community members and police.

The goal of First Thursday is to bring the St. Helens community and local law enforcement together once a month for meaningful conversation about the community. The meetings are an opportunity to make connections in the community, not just between police officers and residents, but also between neighbor and neighbor.

The vision of the St. Helens Police Department is to provide professional police services that will secure public trust and keep our neighborhoods safe and free of crime. Our mission is to work with all citizens to make our city a place where people live safely and to promote individual responsibility and community commitment. 

 

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For further information regarding the St. Helens Police Department’s First Thursday program, please contact Communications Officer Crystal Farnsworth at crystalf@ci.st-helens.or.us or 503-366-8215.