The last time Joe Gamble, Talbot County’s new sheriff, donned a police uniform was when he was twenty-nine years old. Now, several decades after being a plain-clothes officer with the Maryland State Police, Sheriff Gamble has started to again enjoy wearing this unique symbol of community protection, if not the starch in the collar, after winning last fall’s election.
What Gamble does not enjoy is the increasing evidence of heroin’s impact on Talbot County, and the shocking new survey of high school students that indicate that 8% of all Talbot County high school students have tried the drug.
In his first interview with the Spy as Talbot County’s sheriff, Gamble talks exclusively about the local heroin epidemic and his first steps to aggressively improve his agency’s strategies to eliminate the drug’s availability and use.
This video is approximately nine minutes in length
Valerie Albee says
I commend Sheriff Joe Gamble for his sincere dedication in addressing this issue. My daughter, Mariah, passed away September 7, 2012 from a heroin overdose. We need to work together as a community and pull our resources together. Heroin is killing our children!
Lori Celluzzi says
Good to hear. As a CASA in Talbot County, I am seeing and hearing too much. Need for more partnering and information sharing and definitely early intervention. Serious, serious problem in Talbot County affecting all socioeconomic levels. More parental awareness – can never say “not my child”. It will take the community coming together! Get involved.