Probation Violators Arrested in Kittanning
At least one individual was arrested Friday night when the Armstrong County Probation Department conducted a sweep of area drinking establishments looking for parole offenders.
Armstrong County Probation officers, flanked by Kittanning Borough Police officers and Pennsylvania State Police troopers, were on the hunt for probation violators in Kittanning Borough Friday evening.
As part of the legal process, probation violators are ordered by County Court of Common Pleas judges not to enter establishments that sell alcohol.
The first sweep into the Oakwood Tavern on South Jefferson Street discovered one male individual. He was removed and returned to the Armstrong County Jail on parole violations.
According to one Pennsylvania State Police trooper, who was asked what they were doing, he simply responded “We’re cleaning up this town!”
A final report was not released by publication deadline this morning. Officials would only comment that the sweep was “successful.”
The Armstrong County Probation Department representatives said it conducts regular sweeps of area establishments.
Local News | jweaver June 29, 2015
By Just sayin, June 29, 2015 @ 6:41 PM
People aren’t trash or dirt (“cleaning up this town”). Most have addictions. Addiction is a disease.
By Just sayin, June 29, 2015 @ 6:41 PM
Maybe they weren’t ready for parole.
By gboyer1102, June 30, 2015 @ 8:13 AM
90 % of kittanning is scum and that town needs cleaned up addiction is not a disease addiction is a choice cancer is a disease everyone who does drugs or is trying drugs knows it can lead to addiction therefore its a choice
By mad-2010, June 30, 2015 @ 9:49 AM
Wow gboyer.. That’s one deep post. Ok, let’s clean it up then…..
By savvynewshound, June 30, 2015 @ 10:20 AM
90%?
By Just sayin, June 30, 2015 @ 12:18 PM
gboyer: I hope YOU don’t work at ARC Manor.
For your info, MANY people INHERIT an addiction gene, especially men from their fathers.
Some addicts are doctors, etc. (NOT “SCUM”). It is VERY easy to get hooked on pain pills after a LEGITIMATE reason to take them. When they can no longer get their pain pills, some turn to heroin , which is cheaper and easier to obtain. The PUSHERS are the SCUM. The PUSHERS ruin people’s lives.
GET IT? GOT IT? GOOD!
By Just sayin, June 30, 2015 @ 12:22 PM
I hope you NEVER have to deal with anyone who is an addict or someone who will DIE from addiction.
Society is the DISEASE.
By Rat_Smeller, June 30, 2015 @ 12:33 PM
Just Sayin - I dont have a problem with any police officer saying they are “Cleaning up this Town” when they are apprehending people that are in violation of their parole or probation. They are breaking the law. If they don’t want to be apprehended, then then don’t break the law. Also, I totally agree with gboyer. Addicts make a choice when they use the first time. They crossed the line knowing the risks. They need to take responsibility for the choice they make.
By ktown_kid, June 30, 2015 @ 2:53 PM
Keep up the good work!! 1 person at a time to clean up these streets even though most are repeat offenders. Im about tired of hearing addiction is a disease, its a choice.
By tiredoftheBS, July 1, 2015 @ 12:08 AM
When a person initially uses drugs (whatever form), I believe it is a choice. With the one exception, for the people that are prescribed pain medications for example. Just Sayin’ is correct that not all are “scum” it can happen to people of wealth, etc to. I do believe after you are addicted, to an extent, it is a sickness. However, it is the person decision to get or not get help.
While I’m at it, here are my views on narcan (the “cure” for opiate overdoses) being made available to the public. It has just given the green light for people to overdose and not do anything to get better. They will think, someone will find me and give me it before I die. My opinion, Narcan should only be given to those who use for the first time/make a bad choice or mistake, or the occasional elderly person who may take to much or the wrong medication. If your stupid enough to use drugs again and again, your to stupid to be given narcan for your choice again and again.
By Just sayin, July 1, 2015 @ 9:08 AM
I’m not saying people shouldn’t be held accountable. If someone who was on drugs breaks his/her parole, MAYBE he/she wasn’t READY to be on the street again. That MAY BE the fault of the jail/court/counselor systems, releasing them too soon.
You can mostly tell who is ready to try (but people do make mistakes) and be serious. If they are forced to get better, it usually doesn’t work. They have to WANT to get better, as with any addiction.
Prevention/available job training/more affordable recreation are some of the steps for ANYONE to say “NO” the first time around.
When you send addicts back to their same scenery/situation, they most likely will break their parole.
I’d like to change the meaning of “cleaning up the town” to actually have the addicts “become clean again.” The initial phrasing just sounded so degrading.
These people are human beings. Maybe life dealt some of them a bad hand. Also, this heroin problem is NOT just an inner city or “poor”/unemployed person’s problem. Some of the people getting arrested/dying come/came from very well-liked and respected families who do a lot for the community.
There has to be incentives in life. Instead of just TELLING people what could happen to someone who takes drugs, SHOW them what could happen. SHOW them REAL people and their families and how it affects their lives. Start this awareness every school year until they graduate. This MAY help.
People start drugs for various reasons:peer pressure, boredom, family environment, low self-esteem, mental health issues,etc. Most know they will pay the long-term consequences if they try drugs and keep using (physically, emotionally, spiritually, legally, economically).
When we “clean up” garbage and have it taken away, the garbage is still somewhere. It never really goes away, even if it gets buried. A better alternative is to recycle it into something useful.
By Just sayin, July 1, 2015 @ 9:18 AM
Sometimes, the difference between the disease of addiction and “normal” diseases is that SOME addicts don’t WANT to be healed, but MOST people want to be healed of “normal” diseases or cancer.
Some have an easier time of healing than others. The ones who have the “addictive gene” have a much harder time of saying “no” the first time and of stopping. This is SCIENTIFIC FACT!
By Just sayin, July 1, 2015 @ 9:32 AM
tiredoftheBS: I don’t think an addict purposely sets out to overdose! And I’m sure they are not counting on someone to find them and give them Narcan. They are IN THE MOMENT.
The pushers cause most of the overdoses.
If you find a person who overdosed, how do you know it was his/her first time using?
I didn’t say anyone was “scum” except the PUSHERS.
By mad-2010, July 1, 2015 @ 2:04 PM
tiredofthe BS.. Not sure how you would know it was the users first time doing the drug to allow Narcans use to stop the overdose. I can’t follow you on this reasoning….