The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Wildwood Police Department held drug collection events Saturday as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s national drug take back program.
Deputies manned a collection point at the Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages. A steady stream of local residents in cars and golf carts as well as walkups kept the deputies busy as they filled several garbage bags full of unwanted medications.
Deputies Ed Reeser and Donald Henshaw teamed up with Walmart lead pharmacy tech Tommy Holdener, Sumter County Cap drug prevention youth coordinator Braden Carnley and Family Solutions volunteer Savanna Youngblood to man the collection station. In past years the sheriff’s office has often collected more than 2,000 pounds during the national Drug Take Back effort.
The Wildwood Police Department along with Sumter County EMS, The Villages Public Safety Department personnel and volunteers collected 290.8 pounds of unwanted drugs at their collection point in front of the Wildwood Police Station.
Wildwood Police Department Community Outreach Specialist Roni Wood indicated that there will be another collection in October. All the medications will be kept in the evidence room in the police department until the DEA collects the drugs which will be incinerated along with the drugs collected by Sumter County deputies.