Taunton holds community meeting about heroin concerns

TAUNTON, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Local officials held a community meeting Monday night to discuss combating heroin abuse in Taunton.

Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye, Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, and Taunton Chief of Police Edward Walsh were hosting the meeting, which was scheduled for 6 p.m. at Friedman Middle School on Monday.

According to Mayor Hoye, the city has seen 64 heroin overdoses so far this year, with five of those leading to death. That's double the number of overdoses compared to last year. Hoye said the drug is causing an increase in crime in the city, specifically break-ins.

Walsh said that the heroin now is cheaper, and more powerful than ever, sometimes laced with Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller.

On the department's Facebook page, police announced, "We have been to same apartment five time in three days for overdoses. This morning we were clearing an overdose at the apartment when someone else went down. When will this stop?"

Cox Media Group