Police target heroin users in Ft. Mitchell Kroger lot

FORT MITCHELL – Shane Best is poised, ready for action. He sits quietly with a steely gaze, searching and waiting, on the hunt.

His field, however, is a Kroger parking lot on Dixie Highway and he's not gunning for prey. The Fort Mitchell police officer is looking for heroin users.

"They come here because it's busy and they can blend in," he said. "But you just get a feeling, your gut doesn't lie. We've already gotten so many."

No arrests were made this late January afternoon, but since 2013 Best and fellow officers have made 66 heroin-related arrests. The Kroger parking lot is a popular spot for heroin users, said Police Chief Jeff Eldridge.

Heroin users are pulling off the interstate, pulling into Kroger, "shooting up and then going on their way," Eldridge said.

Kroger spokeswoman Rachel Betzler said this has been an ongoing issue at the Fort Mitchell location.

"We continue to work with local law enforcement to deter any unlawful activity in our parking lots," she said. "We want a safe shopping environment for our customers and a safe working environment for our associates."

According to Eldridge, most of the heroin arrests are those from out of town.

"We've gotten people from as far as Corbin," said Eldridge. "We ask them why they're coming up here and they say because the drugs aren't as good down there. We're getting clobbered with this because our (heroin) is too good. That's a terrible thing to think, but it's true."

Eldridge said heroin addicts go to Cincinnati to buy. Once they have it, they can't wait for the fix. So they stop off into areas close to the highway. There has been a similar issue in the Newport Kroger parking lot, according to Newport Police Chief Tom Collins. This Kroger is near Interstate-471.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/ft-thomas/2015/02/02/high-heroin-overdosed-drivers-cause-nky-crashes/22760701/

For Best, arresting a heroin user weighs on him.

"I feel sorry for them," he said. "So many come in and they share with us their stories. These are regular people who've gotten caught up in something bad. I've even had them tell me 'I really want off of this Officer Shane. I just can't afford to get help.'"

Transitions Inc. executive director Mac McArthur said this is true in most cases. Bellevue-based Transitions was founded in 1969 and serves recovering addicts throughout Northern Kentucky.

"Being addicted to heroin is a miserable way to live," McArthur said. "Anything beats that lifestyle." Treatment for heroin addiction depends largely on the person's economic status, he said.

Eldridge's main concern, however, is the safety of Fort Mitchell residents and his officers.

"One of my biggest fears is that one of my officers will get stuck with a needle," he said. The risks include hepatitis or HIV.

Eldridge said officers have to be careful when searching cars and belongings. In one case, they uncovered a total of 18 needles in one car.

This is a concern among other police departments in Northern Kentucky too. Capt. Tom Grau of the Florence Police Department said, "It's always a concern.

"Our officers deal with (heroin-related arrests) on a daily basis so they are used to it and have changed search tactics and key on different indicators that would make them proceed in a more careful manner," Grau said. "But it's always a possibility."

The Fort Mitchell police chief said the department has its own plans to continue deterring addicts from the Kroger area.

"We do have ideas on what we want to do but we don't want to put them all out there," Eldridge said. "Heroin is so big. Letting people know they shouldn't stop in Fort Mitchell or they'll be arrested is just going to push it down the interstate. What else can we do?

"I want our residents to be safe. We will do whatever we can to make that happen."

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