Gulfport, FL, December 2, 2016 (Newswire.com) - This week, a staff member and a graduate of Narconon Suncoast presented the link between addiction and crime to the Gulfport Neighborhood Watch and local police. Officer Cory Smith started the meeting and gave a summary of the latest, local crime statistics. The statistics included data on car burglaries and auto theft. Many of the burglarized cars had been left unlocked and several of the stolen cars had keys left in them. Officer Smith said the majority of thieves go for easy targets and local residents should be more careful in order to cut down on the criminal activity in the neighborhood.
Narconon Suncoast Community Services Director, Yvonne Rodgers, addressed the group and gave a detailed description of drug addiction and its effect on the body. She also described how addicts require a lot of money to support their habits and will steal anything they can to convert into cash to get their drugs. Rodgers said, "Their addiction begins to fuel criminal activities whether at home or in the neighborhood. Obvious signs that you have an active addict around start with money, credit cards and jewelry going missing. Then a neighbor’s bike or tools go missing. Then a car down the block is stolen. No one likes to look in their own backyard, but a lot of the time, that is where you will find the addicted thief.”
Their addiction begins to fuel criminal activities whether at home or in the neighborhood. Obvious signs that you have an active addict around start with money, credit cards and jewelry going missing. Then a neighbor's bike or tools go missing. Then a car down the block is stolen. No one likes to look in their own backyard, but a lot of the time, that is where you will find the addicted thief.
Yvonne Rodgers, Community Services Director
Recent Narconon Suncoast Graduate Corey L., talked about his journey through addiction; spending more than a thousand dollars a day on drugs. Cory said, “No one thinks about how much a few painkillers are going to cost you when you start feeding an addiction. However, once you are addicted you are all about the money. You don’t care where the money comes from or who it hurts, as long as you get your next fix. My addiction took over and I did a lot of stupid things to feed it. Luckily I got into an effective rehabilitation program and learned how to handle my addiction and get cleaned up for good.”
Corey explained how addicts steal and run scams to get money for their fix and how the community can help keep themselves and their belongings safe. Cory also discussed how to identify and help someone who is struggling with addiction. Cory said, “people who habitually lose their wallets, or phone or other expensive items are usually in trouble one way or another. Loved ones need to dig in and see what’s really going on. Start connecting the dots of lost or stolen items and other things you are noticing in your home and neighborhood. It’s pretty simple to see the connections when you start to see an active addiction or some kind of illegal activity is going on. The ultimate key is getting them into a program that can end the addiction and help them make up the damage they have created. Narconon Suncoast gave me that and it’s one of the reasons I go out and help people.”
The city of Gulfport Police Department, Richard Grimberg, thanked the Narconon Suncoast representatives for teaching the Gulfport community about addiction and remarked how education is key to getting people to change their behaviors. The Narconon program has been in existence for more than 50 years, helping addicts fight their addictions, clean up their lives and become positive, contributing members of society. With facilities in more than 40 countries, Narconon programs around the world help join in the fight to beat addiction on a global scale. Narconon Suncoast is located in Clearwater, FL and helps to serve its community by cleaning up the drug problem through rehabilitation and education.
For an in depth look at addiction and crime check out Neighborhood Is Watching The Kid Next Door
Source: Narconon Suncoast
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