Drugs have always been an issue in communities, but the ongoing opiate problem in this country has killed many and destroyed families.

According to a news release Cortland Country, District Attorney Patrick Perfetti is urging a legislative change in the way we pursue drug dealers, who distribute these deadly drugs.

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In the release, Perfetti said as you may or may not know, when I took office four years ago, Cortland County suffered from the dubious distinction of being the “Meth’ Capitol” of New York State. Since taking office January 1st 2017, I made fighting meth’, heroin and other drugs a top priority of the District Attorney’s Office.

A few weeks ago 24 year old Chace Bentley died from a drug overdose of heroine laced with fentanyl, Chace was a graduate of Cortland High School, where he played football and was on the wrestling team.

In 2018 a bill was introduced to the Senate called Laree’s Law, which would give law enforcement more tools to deal with these drug dealers, who kill young people with their toxic drugs.

Laree’s law was named after Laree Farrell Lincoln, an Albany county teenager who died from a drug overdose, like Chase Bentley.

DA Perfetti recently met with the mother of Chase Bentley and said consoling a grieving parent is never an easy task, but it is made all the more frustrating when I have to tell parents that there is no law or legal mechanism that permits my Office to pursue the drug dealers, who are killing our children.

The DA said he does not believe in locking people up and throwing away the key, but rather has put together a different approach based on three key factors, they include Education & Prevention, Diversion & Treatment, and finally Enforcement & Prosecution.

The pandemic has caused issues with bail legislation, and as of now the District Attorney has reached out to his fellow constitutes to reintroduce New York Senate Bill S2761 “Laree’s Law” to honor the memory of Laree Farrell Lincoln and Chace Bentley.

WNBF will provide updates on the progress.

 

 

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