Chief Wells can take you by surprise.

We had never met and it was time we did. I asked to come by, he said “sure” and we sat down in his office.

After brief introductions, he leaned back slightly and said, “You were at .  .  . ” he paused, thinking. “You were at Kevin Sorgi’s retirement party.”

Whoa . .  .  how did he remember that? It was a big room and there were a LOT of people there. I sat with Bob Foster, a long time resident of East Milton, and his wife Eleanor, kept my head down and clapped when appropriate. I did collect some testimonials about Sorgi (which you can find here); but I was never within 200 feet of the chief. That he remembered seeing me there several months after the fact was slightly startling. I suspect I was the only person there he didn’t know. Regardless, it is reassuring that our Chief of Police notices things, and remembers them.

Regarding our conversation, it can be summed up in two words: Watch out.

Watch out, especially for your kids. If Wells had to pick one issue that is at the root of the issues, problems and concerns he has regarding public safety it would be drug use among our young adults and teens. And unfortunately, heroin figures prominently. Why? Wells explained  –  Oxycontin. Heroin use was almost non-existent until Oxycontin came about. Kids would pilfer oxy from adults, get hooked and then try to buy it. However, Oxycontin is expensive and now there are much stricter safeguards on distribution. So what happened? Heroin came in to fill the bill. Domestic disturbances, B & Es, robbery and theft often have a drug habit as a starting point. The consequences are painful to all concerned. “Once that needle goes in, their lives are changed forever,” said Wells.

Wells is not alone in this assessment. In today’s Boston Globe, Phil Tavares, Chief of Police in Marshfield said, “We’ve seen a huge increase in opiate use, whether it be Oxycontin or heroin.  .  . we’ve seen countless families torn apart by this terrible addiction.  .  . It’s a major problem.”

Wells advises parents to carefully monitor technology use whether it be texting on a cell phone or online social media (e.g. Facebook). “Do not permit them to have a computer in their room.” This point was also made at the recent internet safety night held at the high school. Pay attention to who they hang with and where they go. Watch out for them.