UPSET drug discussion at last MSP Citizens Academy class

NEGAUNEE — It’s a problem that has all agencies across the U.P. concerned and Wednesday, it was the topic of discussion for the last class of the Michigan State Police Citizen’s Academy.

Lieutenant Timothy Sholander, the team leader for the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team, talked about the drug epidemic plaguing the country. His presentation honed in on the drugs seen here in our community by means of heroin, marijuana and meth. Sholander looked at the means of transporting and selling the various drugs, the warning signs of drug use as well as how UPSET conducts drug investigations and what they look for on scene.

Trooper Stacey Rasanen says she hopes this valuable information is passed on through academy participants to the general public to raise awareness for the drug epidemic.

“I think they’re more aware of what’s going on in our community,” said MSP Trooper Stacey Rasanen. “They know what to look for to help somebody and also they can be proactive not to be a victim of somebody is involved in drug use and what to do for them. We don’t want these innocent people to become victims.”

In addition to the drug presentation, it was also graduation day for the participants of the academy. I’ll have a recap of the last eight weeks in this weeks’ ABC Ten feature, this Thursday.