KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo officials say meth use is on the rise and is responsible for more crime, ultimately landing more people in jail.
“It’s the most significant increase I’ve ever witnessed at the sheriff’s office in 30 years,” Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller told 24 Hour News 8 Monday.
He said his jail has about 100 more inmates now than it did last year at this time, a 35 percent increase in one year.
“It is a problem,” he said. "More people are going to jail because more people are committing crimes of larcenies, of retail fraud, all of the different crimes that get them a few dollars to get drugs.”
County officials say they are already tackling the problem.
“The take-home is that we need to invest in our young people and we need to break this cycle because jails are a very expensive warehouse of any individual and, frankly, it doesn’t solve some of these societal problems,” Kalamazoo County Commissioner Julie Rogers said.
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