Opioid, fentanyl issue topic of presentation in Vilas County

Approximately 60 people attended a presentation entitled “Opioids and Fentanyl 101” at the Vilas County courthouse on Dec. 5.

“Everything you need to know about what is driving the fentanyl crisis that is poisoning our communities,” stated a flyer for the presentation, which was conducted by Brian Townsend, law enforcement training coordinator for the Missouri-based Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center (MOCIC).

According to the MOCIC website, it serves Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin “as well as parts of Canada.”

Townsend, who told The Lakeland Times during a break in his three-and-half hour presentation he worked for  a local police department before a 23-year career with the federal government’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), said he tries to keep it “comprehensive.”

He’s been retired from the DEA for a year and the presentation in Eagle River last week was, Townsend believed, his 37th since he signed on with MOCIC. 

“My job as law enforcement training coordinator and a retired special agent with the DEA is to train law enforcement,” he said. “My expertise is to train law enforcement on drugs so I do this presentation on opioids and fentanyl for not just law enforcement  but other community partners.”

Besides law enforcement personnel from the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, Minocqua police department, Eagle River police department and the multi-county North Central Drug Enforcement Group (NORDEG), others in the audience included staff from social services offices in Vilas and Oneida counties, the Human Resources Center and elected officials, including Vilas County clerk Kim Olkowski and at least one Vilas County supervisor.  

“We have a fine mix of folks,” Townsend said. “This is my second trip to Wisconsin, actually, to hit different cities in the state.”

The presentation “covers everything,” he said.

“How we got opium to how we got to the health crisis, I talk about the drug cartels, I talk about the dark web and social media,” Townsend said. “I really try to cover as much as I can.”

Emily Miller, a detective sergeant with the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, played a large role in having the MOCIC’s Townsend come to Eagle River for last week’s presentation. 

“We partnered with them in different aspects of criminal investigations and law enforcement resources,” she said. “I was approached to host ‘Opioids and Fentanyl 101.’”

Miller said this particular version of Townsend’s presentation is geared toward community leaders and flyers advertising the presentation were distributed to schools in Vilas County as well as Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) in Minocqua. 

“Many of our students in Vilas County attend LUHS,” she said, adding that there weren’t many school representatives in attendance.

“I understand it’s hard for teachers and administrators to get away, especially this time of year,” Miller said. “Hopefully, in the near future, we can host one geared just for school teachers, school staff and administrators.”

Vilas County Sheriff Joe Fath, who was able to attend most of Townsend’s presentation, said he thought “it was pretty good.”

“Obviously, he (Townsend) has a lot of experience to talk about that issue,” Fath said. “For law enforcement information, it was nothing new and nothing we haven’t seen before but for non-law enforcement people it probably was very good.”

Miller agreed. 

“There were several officers who have extensive drug investigation background who were there,” she said. “It was review and I think it was a lot of information those in law enforcement were aware of but I do think everyone who was there took something away from it.”

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].