At least that’s what it seems like to Marysville Police Chief Rick Smith. Most crimes, not only here but in other communities where he has worked, are connected somehow with drugs. It’s been like that for years. Smith says something different needs to be done.

“We can keep arresting people, but what good is it doing?” he asked. Seems like “drugs are always a part of the equation.”

While enforcement is the job of police he would like to partner somehow with local social service agencies to try to get help for addicts.

“Social services lost money, too,” he said, referring to state and federal funding. He added that more outpatient than inpatient treatment is being done, which isn’t as effective at reducing recidivism. He would like a private-public partnership that would connect social service resources to police enforcement.

One such program is being used in the Belltown area of Seattle. Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion is a pre-booking program to address low-level drug crimes. The program allows law enforcement to redirect low-level offenders immediately to case managers to access services, instead of jail and prosecution. LEAD is committed to reducing the criminal behavior of program participants, its website says. A University of Washington study says LEAD has reduced recidivism in the area.

Smith said while it used to be college and high school students sometimes experimented with drugs, now it is reaching the middle schools. The reasons are many, but one is drugs seem to be more accepted in society.

“Listen to music, watch TV or look at video games,” he said.

He also said drugs are more available. People take pills for back pain and can get addicted. Kids with ADHD take drugs and can get addicted.

People like to “medicate kids. It’s a family issue,” said the former drug cop in Los Angeles and Vancouver. He added that kids can go to parties where there are bowls full of pills, and they don’t even know what they’re taking.

Once people take Oxycodone, Oxycontin and Vicodin they can move on to heroin and meth.

“Heroin and meth are the dirtiest drugs,” Smith said. “They’re out to destroy the body. The first high is too much, and then after that it’s never enough.”

Smith said the strength of drugs has gotten stronger, leading to more deaths.

“No drug is good,” he said, adding no matter what people say marijuana is a gateway drug. As an example, he said his aunt was a pot user and ended up dying from a heroin overdose.

He said DARE, Drug Assistance Resistance Education, was a great program in schools, but they can’t afford that anymore.

“There are so many unfunded mandates,” he said. “What’s missing in schools is a generation” with easy, technological access to drugs and not learning about their dangers. He said he would like his school resource officers to work on the issue, but he would need more of them. He is asking the federal government for grants to pay for three more SROs.

To help combat drugs and other crimes, Marysville started the NITE team in 2009 with a sergeant and three officers. Two officers have been added, along with a dog handler. The unit deals with neighborhood livability issues. It has helped reduce crime downtown and at Lakewood Crossing. Also, there is the new Property Crimes Unit. About 70 percent of their work deals with addiction, Smith said.

The chief said he wants his department to be proactive, “not chasing the radio (scanner) all the time.” He said criminals are noticing the success of the special units, as crime is down.

“People (criminals) are leaving town,” he said.