eternalcrux
Bluelighter
http://www.wisinfo.com/sheboyganpress/news/archive/local_12742225.shtml
Posted Oct. 19, 2003
This is an illustration of how addicts smoke crack cocaine. An undercover drug unit officer said addicts crush a soda can, poke holes in it, put the crack over the holes and heat the substance from the bottom. Press photo illustration/Gary C. Klein
County’s biggest drug problem: crack cocaine
Highly addictive drug destroys families
By Troy Laack
Sheboygan Press staff
Would you sell your wife’s wedding ring to buy crack cocaine?
One Sheboygan man did -- and the addiction was so powerful, so consuming, that it went far beyond that, said Sheboygan Police Lt. Kent Wilson, who heads the Sheboygan County Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Group, this area’s drug unit.
Children aren’t left unaffected by the evils of crack cocaine, said Sheboygan Deputy Police Chief Robert Wojs.
“These people are in families,” Wojs said. “The addictive power of this stuff doesn’t spare the kids.”
A young woman with three young children, including one infant, called Wilson to turn her husband in because she had finally had enough of what his crack cocaine addiction was doing to their family. They both had jobs — he worked in a factory — but several months prior to her call, her husband tried crack cocaine for the first time.
“He became addicted,” Wilson said. “It’s the most addictive drug that’s out there right now. It’s probably as addictive as heroin.
“That became the focus of his life, rather than his family,” Wilson said. “He got to the point where he was earning wages at the factory, even though he would miss work, which is typical of somebody who’s addicted. But his paychecks were cashed and went right to a crack dealer.”
When the woman called Wilson, there was no food in the house and no diapers for the baby, Wilson said.
“There was nothing for the kids at all, everything was totally bare,” Wilson said. “She had to use cloth for diapers because her husband had taken all the money to buy crack.
“The only reason she called me — the situation was clearly pitiful enough — but he had come home that night and stolen her wedding ring to hock it for crack cocaine. She decided that was the last straw.”
The woman followed her husband and told the drug unit where her husband went to get his crack, Wilson said. The drug unit got a search warrant and went to that residence and found a dozen people smoking crack.
“From my perspective, that is a pitiful story, but it’s not really uncommon,” Wilson said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people who have gone from a decent job — or at least a normal job — to nothing.
“They lose their job because of their habit,” Wilson said. “They don’t have the money to support themselves and they turn to other things like crime, like this guy had, and totally destroy their families.”
Eighty-five percent of the drug units’ cases involve crack cocaine, he said. Crack addicts will resort to other crimes to support their habit.
“Nine years ago, we didn’t have crack here and since that time, it’s a cycle that’s been seen in other cities — Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine — where it starts with a small core of people to the point we’re at now where it’s clearly the drug of choice in Sheboygan,” Wilson said. “It’s led to all the other problems (that addicts have). People just can’t afford to do this on a daily basis, because it’s an expensive habit.”
Crack addicts begin by writing bad checks and forgery and move on to burglary, home invasion, armed robbery, attempted homicide and murder to keep up the cash flow to buy crack, he said.
“I’m willing to wager that 80 percent of all these crimes, the root is in crack cocaine addiction,” Wilson said. “We went from not having a problem to this tremendous problem and that’s by far the greatest number of cases we work.”
Reach Troy Laack at [email protected] and 453-5133.
Posted Oct. 19, 2003
This is an illustration of how addicts smoke crack cocaine. An undercover drug unit officer said addicts crush a soda can, poke holes in it, put the crack over the holes and heat the substance from the bottom. Press photo illustration/Gary C. Klein
County’s biggest drug problem: crack cocaine
Highly addictive drug destroys families
By Troy Laack
Sheboygan Press staff
Would you sell your wife’s wedding ring to buy crack cocaine?
One Sheboygan man did -- and the addiction was so powerful, so consuming, that it went far beyond that, said Sheboygan Police Lt. Kent Wilson, who heads the Sheboygan County Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Group, this area’s drug unit.
Children aren’t left unaffected by the evils of crack cocaine, said Sheboygan Deputy Police Chief Robert Wojs.
“These people are in families,” Wojs said. “The addictive power of this stuff doesn’t spare the kids.”
A young woman with three young children, including one infant, called Wilson to turn her husband in because she had finally had enough of what his crack cocaine addiction was doing to their family. They both had jobs — he worked in a factory — but several months prior to her call, her husband tried crack cocaine for the first time.
“He became addicted,” Wilson said. “It’s the most addictive drug that’s out there right now. It’s probably as addictive as heroin.
“That became the focus of his life, rather than his family,” Wilson said. “He got to the point where he was earning wages at the factory, even though he would miss work, which is typical of somebody who’s addicted. But his paychecks were cashed and went right to a crack dealer.”
When the woman called Wilson, there was no food in the house and no diapers for the baby, Wilson said.
“There was nothing for the kids at all, everything was totally bare,” Wilson said. “She had to use cloth for diapers because her husband had taken all the money to buy crack.
“The only reason she called me — the situation was clearly pitiful enough — but he had come home that night and stolen her wedding ring to hock it for crack cocaine. She decided that was the last straw.”
The woman followed her husband and told the drug unit where her husband went to get his crack, Wilson said. The drug unit got a search warrant and went to that residence and found a dozen people smoking crack.
“From my perspective, that is a pitiful story, but it’s not really uncommon,” Wilson said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people who have gone from a decent job — or at least a normal job — to nothing.
“They lose their job because of their habit,” Wilson said. “They don’t have the money to support themselves and they turn to other things like crime, like this guy had, and totally destroy their families.”
Eighty-five percent of the drug units’ cases involve crack cocaine, he said. Crack addicts will resort to other crimes to support their habit.
“Nine years ago, we didn’t have crack here and since that time, it’s a cycle that’s been seen in other cities — Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine — where it starts with a small core of people to the point we’re at now where it’s clearly the drug of choice in Sheboygan,” Wilson said. “It’s led to all the other problems (that addicts have). People just can’t afford to do this on a daily basis, because it’s an expensive habit.”
Crack addicts begin by writing bad checks and forgery and move on to burglary, home invasion, armed robbery, attempted homicide and murder to keep up the cash flow to buy crack, he said.
“I’m willing to wager that 80 percent of all these crimes, the root is in crack cocaine addiction,” Wilson said. “We went from not having a problem to this tremendous problem and that’s by far the greatest number of cases we work.”
Reach Troy Laack at [email protected] and 453-5133.
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
