An upward trend of heroin abuse may be behind the arraignments of two local men in 52-2 District Court recently.
Dennis Gordon Maxon, 20, of Ortonville, and Justin Bland, 20, of Groveland Township were arraigned on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 respectively. The pair share two breaking and entering charges out of Independence Township for stealing returnable bottles from Pine Knob Golf Course and Clark’s Gas Station. Additionally, Maxon was arraigned on a larceny charge stemming from an Oct. 3 incident in which two empty beer kegs and two shelving units were taken from O’Malley’s Galley, 1595 S. Ortonville Road. Bland was also arraigned in two crimes that occurred Sept. 29– a breaking and entering at Bullfrogs, 2225 Ortonville Road, in which a shed was broken into and returnable bottles and beer kegs were stolen and a home invasion in the 900 block of Kent Road in which an X-Box and games were taken.
Both Bland and Maxon have prior criminal records and drug problems, said Oakland County Sheriff’s Detective Brad Teague. Maxon has admitted to a $150-a-day heroin habit.
‘They’re trying to support their habit,? said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Brandon Substation Sgt. Tim McIsaac. ‘We’re seeing more breaking and enterings… In the past, we saw more crack. This is unusual because it’s all heroin-related.?
Lt. Joe Quisenberry, Narcotic Enforcement Team (N.E.T.) Commander for Oakland County, says there has been a trend of heroin abuse in the past three years. He notes that from the 70s until the early 90s, heroin was popular before trending downward. Since 2001, it has been trending back up.
‘Heroin use leads to property crimes throughout the community and tends to lead to violence to support the habit,? Quisenberry says. ‘It starts by stealing within the home, from neighbors and then property crimes and worse.?
Quisenberry says Brandon and Groveland townships are not worse than other communities as far as drugs and related problems, but wants people to be aware that they exist and it’s not just an urban problem. He believes that environment doesn’t create abuse, culture does and it is not determined by wealth or poverty or whether a person lives in the city or the country.
‘People want to think that they live in safe little Ortonville and downtown Detroit and Pontiac are more likely to have a drug problem– and they do,? says Quisenberry. ‘But plenty of people (in those areas) aren’t doing drugs. You can’t use a broad brush. People in Ortonville have these problems, too. There should be an awareness amongst parents, neighbors and schools that this can be a problem here just as much as anyplace else.?