LASD task force predicts fentanyl will be "number one cause" of overdose deaths in coming years
A task force devoted to preventing overdose deaths in Los Angeles County has made a harrowing prediction as the amount of fentanyl-related incidents continues to skyrocket nationwide.
"Very shortly here, fentanyl is going to be the new number one cause of overdose deaths as far as controlled substances are concerned," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Captain Brandon Dean, who works with the departments Overdose Response Task Force.
Formed in July, the task force consists of investigators from a number of different bureaus, working to prevent drug overdose deaths from the source.
"If we're able to link that person that sold that controlled substance that caused the death, our goal is not to arrest you for sales of narcotics," Dean said. "Our goal is to arrest you for either second degree murder on the state side or distribution that led to a death on the federal side."
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the amount of deaths from controlled substances has spiked more than 200% from 2018 to 2021. In those numbers, the largest jump was fentanyl-related deaths, with 1,204 reported in 2018 and 2,741 in 2021.
"Four years ago, it was 650 meth and 263 fentanyl," Dean said. "So, basically, fentanyl has gone up seven times in four years."
He said that while the threat has taken grip of most of Los Angeles County, Santa Clarita tops the list of fentanyl activity, evidenced by an incident just days ago, when five young adults overdosed at Bouquet Canyon Park.
The five victims were treated, and three were arrested.
"On that particular case, because of the amount of people that overdosed, we did send out some investigators and it is linked to some other cases, possibly, that we're working," Dean said.
Another person from Saugus died from a fentanyl overdose on Wednesday, less than a quarter mile from Bouquet Canyon Park.
Myra Tynan, a lifelong Santa Clarita resident, said she never thought that her beloved hometown would become a hotspot for the highly toxic opioid, but she hopes that law enforcement officials can get a grip on the situation sooner than later.
"It breaks my heart, it really does. A lot of times, teenagers don't know what they're getting into and they're gone before we know it. And It's so sad," she said. "They need to do something to get a handle on this. Whatever they can do to save our children."
Dean says the task force's plan to implement more serious charges should help their cause.
"If people are starting to get federal charges filed on them and they're getting 15 to 20 year sentences for selling something that caused a death, it's definitely going to make them think twice about selling that."
While numbers from 2022 have yet to be compiled, fentanyl has wreaked havoc on local school districts since the school year began, with multiple deaths stemming from the narcotic.
