If you attended the Fitchburg City Council debates we co-sponsored this past week with Fitchburg State College, you couldn't help but come away with the realization that crime is still a major problem in the city. Candidate after candidate said the city must do more to combat crime, mostly drug-related crime, so the hardworking, law-abiding people who live in Fitchburg get the city they and their families deserve. I couldn't agree more. The police department has made solid strides fighting crime in the city, and the amount of violent crime in the city this summer seemed to drop noticeably from last year. [continues 452 words]
Everyone has a job to do if North Central Massachusetts, or anywhere else, wants to win the war on drugs. The politicians have to give the police chiefs the resources they need to keep the city streets safe and to arrest the drug dealers and drug users who choose to break the law. The prosecutors then have to go into court and fight to try and convict the people who are selling and using drugs in the region. And before they go to trial, they should seek the highest bail possible for the suspects who are charged with serious drug or drug-related crimes. But it doesn't stop there. [continues 566 words]
On the fifth day of our special report, "Decades of Addiction-Drugs in North Central Mass," we decided to run two pictures of a heroin user. The picture that ran on our front page, showed a man -- but not his face -- getting ready to inject himself with heroin. The second picture, which ran on page A8, shows the man injecting himself with heroin. The pictures ran as part of the installment about a day in the life of the people on all sides of the illegal drug trafficking and use battle in North Central Mass. [continues 357 words]
There is no greater problem facing the residents of North Central Massachusetts than the use and trafficking of illegal drugs. It has tarnished the region's reputation for decades and has prevented cities, particularly Fitchburg, from reaching the heights its residents and business owners deserve. There are few areas in North Central Massachusetts that haven't been hurt by illegal drug trafficking. From public safety to housing, business and even education, drug trafficking and illegal drug use have made their presence felt. [continues 253 words]
