Heroin addicts suspected in western Washtenaw County burglaries
Western Washtenaw County is currently experiencing a rash of home invasions. Many of them are happening in rural areas during the day, where neighbors are spread out and police response time is delayed because of the distances involved.
Local thieves who are heroin addicts are suspected due to the frequency, nature of the crimes and loot stolen, which is easily fenced for quick cash.
Why do heroin addicts get so desperate? It's because heroin addicts get “dope sick” if they don’t get heroin. For those who have overindulged on alcohol and had a hangover, imagine a terrible hangover that will only get worse if you don’t obtain more drugs. For those uninitiated in hangovers, think about severe flu-like symptoms that will get much worse as the day progresses until you get your “medicine.”
How desperate would you be if you felt like that? Now consider it will happen every day until you kick the habit or die. That is why heroin addicts are so desperate to get money.
If you are male and a heroin addict, you'll likely become a dealer, thief, burglar or armed robber to feed your habit. If you are a female, you may follow a different path. Many women who do not want to steal will become strippers or escorts and then eventually hard core street-walking prostitutes.
One female heroin addict and prostitute, who for a time was drug-free, told me it is a vicious cycle. She had been clean and sober from drug rehab several times. She stayed clean and sober until she faced some stressor in life, when she’d turn back to the needle and heroin. Inevitably, she found herself in a position where her only alternative to make enough money for her habit was to become a prostitute.
She said she had to do unspeakable things. She was ashamed and disgusted with herself. She would then use more heroin to mentally escape her existence. Once she used more heroin to get high and numb herself, her tolerance grew greater and required an ever increasing amount to keep her from getting “dope sick,” much less get high.
This addict got deeper in debt to her supplier, who was her pimp. To survive, he forced her to work harder on the street, which caused her to use more heroin. The cycle spun and accelerated until her life was circling the cosmic drain.
She told me it was almost a relief to get arrested - except for the drug withdrawal to come in jail. When she got out, she’d be clean for a time until she was stressed, and heroin drew her back to the street.
I'm not a substance abuse counselor. I certainly don't have all the answers, but those who say drugs are a “victimless” crime have not seen what police officers, court officers and substance abuse counselors have seen.
Those who get hooked on drugs - be it heroin, prescription drugs, cocaine, crack, methamphetamines or any other drug prone to abuse and addiction - flush their lives down the drain and drag their loved ones down to a low point with them. “Victimless” crimes simply are not.
Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware (especially in Western Washtenaw County) and watch out for your neighbors.
Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.
Comments
Ashlee
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 10:11 a.m.
No one can be certain if the home invasions were heroine abuse related until the suspects have been obtained in police custody. I am currently researching heroine abuse a.) becuase i have two family members who are opiate addicts and i can tell you that they never were "weak" people nor were they losers and b.) i saw a special on herione on Nat. Geo called "drugs Inc. Heroine and it caught my attention. now, according to the national drug intelligence center 25% of substance abuse related home invasions are herione addicts while 50% are crack related and the majority of home invasions are substance abuse related. Heroine abuse has doubled from 2008 to 2009 exact numbers were 1500-3500 and those were just the addicts addmitted into treatment. there is no need to legalize heroine or any drugs. Heroine addicts can take suboxin to avoid becoming dopesick it is used for recovery but some addicts use it to "tie" them over. addiction is NOT a moral issue it is a disease. no one ever grows up saying when i grow up i want to be a heroine addict and steal from the people i love and sell my body to sick men no one ever wants that. people have the assumption that this is a problem in detroit or ypsilanti but not in my rural home in our public schools NEWSFLASH: most heroine addicts are white caucasians who started taking there parents prescriptions in the medicine cabinet out of curiosity and getting addicted to them they keep going up the scale from vicodins to oxies the they switch to heroine bc it's cheaper and more accessible. the price of heroine has gone up from 50-100,000/kg to 80,000/100,000/kg in the last year also the purity has gone from 10% to 90% in the last year so not only is it more expensive but also more addictive so i can see why there has been a surge in home invasions in washtenaw county they now need it more and it's more expensive, yep makes sense. btw heroine abuse is suspected to double again this year so be expecting more of the same. oh yea and 2nd ammendment guy we do have the right to bear arms but in no way should your non-living property materials be more important than a human life, remember they are sick. would you shoot someone with alzhiemers disease becuase they used to live there and had an episode and thought they were coming home? probably not. addiction is a disease. usually these people wont burglarize an occupied home they want to get in get out and get their fix JC they're not serial killers they're addicts people like you and me but they have a disease.
Me Next
Sun, May 23, 2010 : 12:34 p.m.
At no additional cost to society early childhood education, around 10 years old is when my Sunday School Teacher gave us the Gov. address & required us to order the Free Pamphlets & tell the rest what we had learned. Also a Police Officer came to our class for a Q & A session which supplemented what I had already learned. Children have questions & information can satisfy that natural curiosity. I think it's probably Informed Speculation. This situation is evidence of misused public funds. The Purpose of any Gov is the protection of Life & property. There's no excuse for not fully funding the appropriate "stronger Police Force". That calls for Oath keepers cutting from everything but Protector Employees & Volunteers. I have seen every form of "teen self destruction". "cutting" is just one of them. In general it is a Conflict in Identity Resolution act. All races & cultures with the common desire to "find themselves". I realize this is extremely comprehensive, but individual factors are required for any Care Plan. General "Addictive Personality". The solution, apart from the Purpose Funding of Gov, can only be Local. Informed Children with facts not opinion (leads to distrust & disobedience). Legalizing & Taxing, with stiffer Unlawful entry & distribution laws enforced & any involvement of children considered violence against a minor, removes the "Secret Society" & profiteering by even public employees. The workable solution for any society is Community Service to pay for personal rehab & fines to pay for Policing costs. Solves "Lack of Accountability & Responsibility for one's own self." This is Positive attention. There is a strong theory that attention seekers will eventually behave according to the attention they receive. The System right now is negative - removal & total dependence on others continued but in a different place. Self-determination actually forbidden. I know this is comprehensive. I have seen the results of most all "victimless crimes". I would not imply anyone is a victim unless they are actually victimized by any criminal. How the victims deal with the offender determines if they are enablers or problem solvers. Those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it. I'll help in an internet town hall meeting. I only have One "Natural Born" citizen's influence, right to assert the real right to "General Welfare" Protection, but I offer it free. We all have this injustice to solve. Well worth the effort.
Ricebrnr
Sun, May 23, 2010 : 12:19 p.m.
"but it will reduce violent crime and the costs of enforcement, prosecution, and corrections. These costs can be used to benefit society rather than destroy it." OH that explains meth which is made from over the counter medications..wait...Umm Oxcontin...oh but never mind... Yep legal and very little or no violent crimes resulting from the direct theft of these...no organized crime involvement..no "low level" street people contaminating buildings that require haz mat and bomb squads to clear... Well I feel better now!
rwing1
Sun, May 23, 2010 : 3:50 a.m.
In response to David Briegel, making drugs legal does'nt make anyone less likely to steal, you are an idiot. Oxycontin, vicodin, soma, valium, and the list goes on are legal, and all the morons hooked on them find ways to steal to get more. This also would affect healthcare as the number of drug addicts would rise and therefore contribute to even higher healthcare costs. The drugs listed have already put this country in a healthcare crisis which has lead to the godforsaken Socialized medicine your moronic president has put on the rest of us. Get a life, it's quite obvious you have already burned all your brain cells.
Basic Bob
Sat, May 22, 2010 : 9:52 p.m.
Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy, Corey Haim, and Michael Jackson all died from complications of prescription drug abuse. All completely legal. More people die from legal alcohol and prescription drug overdose than all illegal street drugs combined. Making street drugs legal will not stop the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of addiction, but it will reduce violent crime and the costs of enforcement, prosecution, and corrections. These costs can be used to benefit society rather than destroy it.
Ricebrnr
Sat, May 22, 2010 : 7:43 p.m.
Yep legalize it that will solve everything won't it? Guess I'll ask Heath Ledger, or Brittany Murphy, or Corey Haim or Michael Jackson if that works....oh wait..
Angela816
Sat, May 22, 2010 : 3:36 p.m.
I know and work with several heroin addicts. To make it available through prescription would not get people ready for rehab.... it would make them sicker. And it would also allow other people to go "prescription shopping" to support their habits. I have never heard of, or seen, a functional heroin addict. I work with several members of the recovering community and they will tell you the same thing. Addiction (to anything) is a full time job, which is why people will resort to anything to get what they need.
RuralMom
Fri, May 21, 2010 : 9:31 a.m.
LOL! Weed is not a "gateway" drug! Get real. Two different substances entirely, I can tell you weed never made me become a criminal, do heroin or cocaine, never made me sell my body. If you have an addictive personality that does increase your chances of becoming addicted to just about ANYTHING. However the notion that one thing leads to another is bunk, just another excuse for the lack of self control or an excuse for piss poor behavior, IF YOU POKE THEN YOU NEED TO OWN IT.
ronn oneal
Fri, May 21, 2010 : 5:54 a.m.
To say that only herion addicts do certin crimes is a slap in the face. True herion addicts need that fix, or any addict addicted to opiates. Opiates are in perscriptions. Addiction of the kind is really a disease. that you never fully get well but you do recover. Home invasion is a very desprate act because now that person has come to a point that they will hurt you to get this drug and killing them is one of thier prayers. They just want to get well (fix) or die trying. Everyone knows an addict,be it friend, relative, relatives friends, friends kids, etc. More recovery programs would help that client wouldnt have to stress about bills. Its not stress that only leads back to active addiction, it's more on the lines of not support, sponser, N.A. groups, Methadone clinics, etc. No simply answer but, stress is far from the problem. More like poor choice's, no t enough help for people addicted just a lynch mob that says burn them at the stake. Add drinkers to that list, gamblers, over eater's,etc. We have to start with putting yourself in those shoes and consider more self help or strutured help and support groups. My 2cennts added would be to gather those that are recovering and ask that they do for others what was done for them, pass the baton. Murder and jail is not the answer. the person your with everyday could be addicted. Drs. Give out addictive drugs daily but no way to get them off of the stuff and most end up on street drugs because it's easier and cheaper to get their hands on it but the leads down a raod thats dark and lonely and worst is when the ones that you love and love you dont understand the nature of addiction but what we see on T.V. and read in papers that lead to people being cold shouldered instead of loving and supportive. Pray that you never get addicted and everybody lables you this masked bad guy. Turn the tables before you condem someone. I start by asking what can I do to help and support before I turn my back on a life that is just as valuable as mines and my childrens. Peace N Love out plays War N hate.
Michigan Reader
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 8:28 p.m.
The general thread of this article has been common knowledge for decades, but it was still an interesting read.
AT
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 2:42 p.m.
I think the reason these break-ins were linked to heroin is because heroin is a huge problem in western Washtenaw County. I attended a neighborhood watch meeting sometime last year and the officer who was at the meeting said heroin was making a huge comeback out there.
stillatownie
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.
@bunnyabbot - i bet ALL of those addicts you know started off with milk. milk - the REAL gateway drug. Seriously, correlation!= causation. nice anecdote, though.
Lokalisierung
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 2:05 p.m.
"Marijuana is "Non-Addictive"." Physically non addictive...mentally it was last I checked.
juice
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 1:45 p.m.
Marijuana is a gateway drug to the abuser, Not the Medicinal user. Heroine is classified as a Narcotic, Marijuana also, that is changing.Marijuana is "Non-Addictive". Proven in Government tests Etc.Heroine Addicts can be treated with Marijuana so can Alcoholics.My point is dont generalize that all drug users are like criminals and degenerates,Obama,Clinton,Bob Marley all toked up and are not Heroine addicts.People get informed and Legalize drugs at the Federal level, Tax payers money is wasted fighting the Drug war. Resources are better spent on education,intervention,prevention,and cultivation.
Lokalisierung
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 1:03 p.m.
"That doesn't mean that smoking pot or drinking alcohol or even drinking coffee leads to heroin addiction." Agree. Look, herion is used by people that are weak, just a sad truth. I've known a few peoples that died of herion, and although they were my friends, they were losers. If you can't figure out, in this day and age that herion is super addictive and has a negative impact on your life, you deserve what you get.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 12:12 p.m.
@bunnyabbot I don't actually know anyone who is a heroin addict. But I'll bet that everyone you know who is a heroin addict drank alcohol before they tried it. They also probably also used other drugs like caffeine first too. Is Caffeine a gateway drug? Seriously, I know a LOT of people who smoke weed. Almost everyone I know has smoked it at one time or another and none of them have ever used heroin. The idea that weed is a gateway drug is total BS. The only correlation that I can see is that if you look at weed users as a group, they share the characteristic that they are willing to try an illegal drug and are willing to use substances recreationally. I would expect any group with those characteristics to be more likely to try heroin. That doesn't mean that smoking pot or drinking alcohol or even drinking coffee leads to heroin addiction.
ChunkyPastaSauce
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 12:06 p.m.
There is no real evidence given in the article that the spike in stolen property has anything to do with heroin... the only 'evidence' is "are suspected due the frequency, nature of the crimes and loot stolen, which is easily fenced for quick cash."... 1. Frequency - I dont get how anything can be drawn by the frequency.. the number of thieves is unknown nor is it known if there is more than one group of thieves involved. It is also not known how much they are getting for the stolen goods. So how any conclusion can be drawn by the frequency to determine if drugs are involved is not obvious to me. 2. Nature of the crimes - The vast majority of looters do not do heroin. 3. Loot stolen is easily sold for cash - What good looter is going to select items to steal that are hard to sell?
bunnyabbot
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 11:55 a.m.
the three people I know who became heroin addicts (one died 10 years ago at the age of 25, the other two haven't run into for years) all started with smoking pot in highschool, than it was ecstasy, cocaine, then heroin and whatever else they could get thier hands on. the 25 year old went off to college, got hooked, spent gobs of her parents money supposedly for school and got kicked out for failing, 5 years of trying and failing to get clean didn't work. another kid I went to highschool with who smoked occasional weed was selected to train on an olympic team. he went off to training, came home hooked on cocaine. owed the dealer money who threatened his family. That kid robbed the same bank TWICE. he ended up turning himself in, went to prison for 6 years, was raped there, got out and is doing well for himself, except b/c of his record no one will hire him as a coach and no bank will give him a loan. weed in my book is a gateway drug
Woman in Ypsilanti
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 11:31 a.m.
One of the funny things about Heroin is that addicts can be perfectly functional as long as they continue to get their fix. Heroin is also something that can be made for not too much money. Addicts resort to crime and other things to get their fix because it is so expensive. A solution would be to make it legal, perhaps with a prescription. Addicts can get a prescription and then once they have a relatively cheap and stable supply can get a regular job to afford it until they are ready to go to rehab to kick the habit. Currently addicts find that they are unemployable if they don't have a regular supply because of the withdrawal symptoms which also make them more prone to engaging in unsavory acts in order to get the money for their next fix. We have already proven that jailing addicts doesn't solve the problem. Lets try a different approach.
Ricebrnr
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 11:13 a.m.
@ Dave B: "If it were legal they would not have to steal and perpetrate violence! The illegality drives up the cost in many ways!" So alchoholics, who's drug of choice has been legalized and is very affordable, don't steal and perpetrate violence to feed their addiction? Do all the drunk driving victims not count as having violence perpetrated upon them? I'm all for legalizing a la alchohol, but I am not naive enough to believe that this will solve petty theft, abuse, prostitution and violent crimes.
Drew Montag
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
To Harriet Fusfeld: Rich Kinsey writes a weekly column (this is one of them), not daily news stories. His columns are intended to be memoirs, drawing on his many years of experience as an Ann Arbor police officer. That doesn't make them any less sharp. I enjoy reading his weekly columns, and I think they're just fine the way they are. There are plenty of "straight news" stories published all day, every day on AnnArbor.com, for your reading pleasure.
theodynus
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 9:54 a.m.
Summary: There were some burglaries. It must have been heroin addicts because sometimes heroin addicts steal. Also, they become prostitutes. Here is a story about a prostitute. Heroin is bad. Does the esteemed author propose a solution to the problem? Perhaps we should lock up *more* people? That seems to be working real well for us.
David Briegel
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 9:39 a.m.
If it were legal they would not have to steal and perpetrate violence! The illegality drives up the cost in many ways! War on Drugs = War on Sanity!! Remember Iran Contra? Ever wonder why our military can't stop the poppy and heroin production? Or the cocaine production?
Ricebrnr
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 8:09 a.m.
You mean recreational drug and alchohol use doesn't stay in the home and private? You mean there is a tendency of those who use to infringe on the civil rights and happiness of others??? I'm shocked I say, SHOCKED!
Freemind42
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 7:16 a.m.
So is there any actual proof that the perpetrators are heroin addicts or is this just complete speculation? Of course, heroin is a terrible drug and causes people to lose sight of their priorities (just like any addiction), but to make this kind of assumption is to risk overlooking other possible suspects. This just sounds like another one of those, "those damned drugged-out teens are causing all the problems in the city" articles. The article also ignores the real implications and causes of drug addiction, such as depression or mental illness and goes the simplistic route of assuming all people who do drugs are bad.
Rasputin
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 7:11 a.m.
This is a real shame. The addict jonesing for a fix and the homeowner are both the victims of this plague that has reared its ugly head yet again. Heroin chic was all the rage in the 80s and 90s... it's sad to see it making a comeback in Washtenaw county. As for home invasions, it is impossible to argue or reason with an addict.
InsideTheHall
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 6:53 a.m.
This is why we must defend our 2nd amendment rights with vigor. When the home invasion comes you cannot count on the authorities. It is time to lock and load defending yourself and family.
Davidian
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 6:31 a.m.
I have only limited sympathy for addicts like this. My generation knew from a very early age that heroin is incredibly addictive and it kills. Yet people turn to it anyway, get caught in the life of whoring and thievery, live on handouts, and they wonder why their lives suck. They chose heroin and they should be dealt with accordingly. They should be sent to a harsh prison term and if they receive treatment, good. Also, if someone breaks into my house, they're dead, junkie or not. PS: to Dr I'm Sayin': I am working on a full body tattoo--and no, I don't do it for stress relief or to enjoy the pain. The pain from a 2 hour tattoo is much different than the pain endured for a tattoo that takes hundreds of hours. But enduring the pain definitely gives you a major sense of accomplishment--that you are disciplined. I will admit that when I was much younger, there was that pain element that was satisfying. Chaulk that up to youthful exhuberance and hormonal confusion LOL.
Harriet Fusfeld
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 6:26 a.m.
This story follows a pattern in many AnnArbor.com stories that sound more like memoirs than journalism. Can the stories be made sharper, less like a confessional,based on information? Hariet Fusfeld
Dr. I. Emsayin
Thu, May 20, 2010 : 6:10 a.m.
Is there an expert out there who knows if the type of cutting that we see with some teens, which they claim is a release from stress, has any relationship to using needles in other ways to relieve stress? And another question: does the addiction to tattoos that seems common today have any relationship (in some people) to relieving stress? It seems that an addiction to a certain amount of pain is one way that people find relief for stress. If you are a professional who knows about this or knows of articles or books on the subject, can you let us know?