WORLAND – At the Washakie Prevention Coalition (WPC) meeting on Thursday, June 25, both Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness and Worland Police Chief Gabe Elliott reported an increase in drug and substance abuse throughout Washakie County.

According to Rakness, this uptick is due to people getting out more after essentially being in isolation due to COVID-19 for the last few months. The uptick that they have seen has been methamphetamine and heroin trafficking and usage.

Local law enforcement has received intelligence reports from out-of-state law enforcement about drug trafficking, in addition to increased trafficking into the area.

Some of this has happened because of limited law enforcement contact due to COVID-19 practices, as well as more limited probation and parole checks due to COVID-19 social distancing practices being used by probation and parole.

The uptick cannot be considered a trend, Rakness said, but added that more information will be available in the coming months once there is enough data to determine what happened with this particular uptick.

Rakness said he believes, through his years of experience, that this will continue to trend upward for a little while, but will plateau once more tips and cases are reported, and once sentencing and fines are allowed to be handled more consistently in the courts. The courts have been shut down for most in-person hearings, but are expected to open up in August.

Jail rosters have been trending upward, as law enforcement reported at the WPC that they had also seen increased intoxication issues as well as increased domestic violence. Rosters have also included minor sentences being handed out as the courts begin to hand out more of their regular sentences.

Rakness said that the Riverton Police Department has been beginning to send additional inmates since the RPD COVID-19 flair up has gotten under control.