The Flagler Beach Police Department is making an effort to make the community safer with its new drug collection unit.
- Flagler Beach Police taking in prescription drugs daily
- Agency has collected more than 100 pounds in 25 days
- Drugs can be dropped off 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F
Instead of taking in prescription drugs only twice a year on nationally designated days, the agency now receives drugs daily.
Gayle Moss, who lives in Flagler County, said she plans to make good use of the community’s new drug collection unit.
"Like my doctor, he'll change my medications, then what do I do with the old ones is what I'm always wondering," said Moss, who donated prescriptions Thursday.
Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney said the unit came from a grant from CVS Pharmacy to the department. Doughney hopes it will be a way to prevent a tragedy.
"They can be deadly because you can do so much with those pills," he said. "You can snort ... the possibilities are endless."
One by one, bags were filled with pills as the chief and detectives pulled them from the evidence room Thursday. Doughney said since the new unit was installed 25 days ago, people have dropped off more than 100 pounds of prescription drugs.
People will break into homes or search the trash to get their hands on the pills. They can ruin the water supply if they are flushed down the toilet. Safety is the biggest issue, the police chief said.
"My biggest fear is that you put them in a garbage can and a garbage can gets knocked over and some child picks up a pill," Doughney said.
People can drop off drugs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Flagler Beach Police Department. No questions will be asked. The drugs are then turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"Hopefully it will get drugs off the street and make it a safer place for all of us," Moss said.