AG Cooper to speak at meeting of western NC sheriffs

Bryson City: Attorney General Roy Cooper will speak to sheriffs from western North Carolina on Wednesday, February 17 around 12:00 noon in Bryson City.

He will talk to local sheriffs about Operation Medicine Drop, an effort to cut down on prescription drug abuse. Cooper’s State Bureau of Investigation is partnering with local law enforcement agencies, Safe Kids North Carolina, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to sponsor prescription drug take-back programs across the state during the week of March 14-20. Prescription drugs are the second most abused drug among young people ages 12-17, and two-thirds of teenagers who use prescription drugs without proper authorization get the drugs from their home or a friend’s home.

The Attorney General will also discuss taking DNA samples from arrestees to help law enforcement solve cases quicker and prevent future crimes. Cooper worked previously with lawmakers to expand North Carolina’s DNA database to include samples from all convicted felons, growing the state’s database from around 18,000 samples in 2000 to more than 180,000 today.

In addition, Cooper will talk to the sheriffs about new trends in the fight against meth, including a new electronic system to track purchases of key meth ingredients that will help law enforcement identify and stop criminals who make meth.

The western sheriffs’ meeting will take place at River Rock Grill, located at 4041 Highway 19 West in Bryson City.

SBI director Robin Pendergraft will join the Attorney General at the meeting. Sheriffs from Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties are expected to attend.