12-year-olds use needles for drugs

The discovery local children as young as 12 have been using needles to inject drugs has shocked Hedland’s top cop.

Speaking at last week’s Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce business breakfast, Senior Sergeant Dean Snashall said drug use and juvenile crime were massive problems.

He said police had been regularly patrolling one house in particular in which one adult had been living with and struggling to oversee 13 teenagers and children.

“We had kids in that house as young as nine smoking cannabis, ” he said. “But the (larger) problem we’ve got is we have 12 and 13 year olds using methamphetamines.”

“That is just shocking — I’m a parent and (have been) a police officer for 21 years, and when I first heard stories of 12 and 13-year-olds using needles in this town, I just about fell over.”

Sen. Sgt Snashall’s comments comes as police conduct Operation Double Shot, a major crime prevention initiative running until June 30.

Pick up next week’s paper for more on Double Shot.