The candidates for district attorney in Jefferson County agree that heroin is the biggest issue facing law enforcement in the area today. The choice voters make on Tuesday may hinge on which candidate voters believe can put a dent in the heroin epidemic.
The typical heroin user today is young, white and suburban. And for the first time in decades, the drug is destroying families in more rural areas. The two candidates running for Jefferson County district attorney have shaped their campaigns around their promises to stop the flow of heroin into the county.
"Our county is actually doing fairly well with that," said Krystina Mills.
Mills is running as the Republican candidate for D.A. Mills has worked as the district attorney's chief assistant for 16 years. She recently told WWNY-TV that the D.A.'s office is aggressive when it comes prosecuting to drug offenses.
"Our drug felony conviction rate is about 96 percent, the state's average is only 76 percent," said Mills.
But Anthony Neddo, the Democratic candidate for D.A., says convicted drug dealers don’t stay locked up long enough.
“Right now these people get three years or less on a plea bargain and that makes them eligible for an early release program, so they’re back on the street within six months," Neddo said.
Neddo wants to increase prison sentences for dealers to more than three years. He's worked as a private defense attorney in Watertown for over a decade. Neddo says to stop heroin, the D. A. office needs a fresh start.
Both Neddo and Mills acknowledge addicts, on the other hand, need treatment, not jail time. But rehabilitation facilities in Watertown are full. Addicts face long waiting lists for treatment. Few resources and a lack of teamwork among county officials to stop the epidemic has left users vulnerable.
The candidates say if elected, they'll make heroin a priority, but they say prosecuting offenders is only part of the fight to stop the epidemic.
The current District Attorney, Cindy Intschert, is retiring when her term ends at the end of this year.