Drug arrests nearly double in Martin County in five years

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. – Over four decades, William Hyde has seen big changes in his Stuart neighborhood, not all of them good.
“We’ve had trouble with them for years.”
By “them” he means drug dealers. He was glad to hear this week that two men were arrested on drug charges at a home near his.
“I’d like to see them clean the whole place up,” said Hyde.
In 2011, there were 477 drug-related arrests in Martin County. Last year, there were 817.
“Dangerous drugs, narcotics, opioid use is skyrocketing. And we’re doing everything we can to push back against it,” said Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
At the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, they have a new device, not much larger than a cellphone, that helps them determine what it is they’re seeing out on the streets.
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