Moscow Police Department discusses fentanyl situation with parents

According to Moscow Police officers, there is at least one fentanyl overdose per week in Latah County on average.

This was shared to parents, students and school administrators during a presentation on drugs in the community Tuesday at Moscow High School.

Cpl. Ryan Snyder told those in attendance that fentanyl often comes in the form of counterfeit pills of other drugs like Xanax or oxycontin. They can also come in any color.

This leads to people unwittingly ingesting something far more dangerous than what they anticipated.

“Unfortunately people don’t know what they’re buying when they’re buying stuff on the street,” he said.

He added that fentanyl is cheap and causes a strong high. Sellers are profiting off it, but people are also dying because it is so potent, Snyder said.

Moscow PD investigated more than 40 fentanyl cases in 2021, significantly more than heroin or meth. The number of fentanyl cases has increased in recent years.

Officer Mitch Nunes said drugs lead to property crimes as addicts attempt to steal valuables to sell for drug money.

He reminded parents of local resources that are available for their children such as the school resource officer, school counselor, youth probation and the Latah Recovery Center. He encouraged parents to be observant of changes in their child’s behavior.

Nunes informed attendees that Idaho has medical amnesty that protects anyone who overdoses or reports an overdose from being prosecuted if they call emergency personnel.

Joining Nunes and Snyder on Tuesday was Moscow’s new drug-sniffing K-9, Ragnar. The yellow Labrador happily let the children in the audience pet him while his handler, Snyder, answered their questions.

Nunes said Ragnar’s early effect on the police department was “instantly felt,” since the dog joined the department in June.

Ragnar is used primarily during traffic stops and will alert Snyder of any suspicious odors, Nunes said.

Moscow School District Superintendent Greg Bailey was in attendance and said he is open to the police bringing Ragnar to the schools occasionally, but would like input from the community before allowing that to happen.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.