ASHLAND — Ashland Chief of Police David Lay applauded METRICH’s release of a new app aimed at drug enforcement in Ashland County.
The METRICH App will provide drug education, addiction resources and helpful links to citizens of Ashland and other communities that are part of the drug enforcement network.
The unit began in metropolitan Richland County, hence the name, in 1986 to reduce the area’s illegal drug supply and grew to include nine other counties by 2000.
The decentralized task force has led to several arrests stemming from raids over the years.
The app is tailored to specific counties within the network, and will allow for anonymous tip reporting, along with other information such as press releases on raids and arrests, addiction resources, drug education and information on the location of drug drop boxes.
The app’s aim is to help make Ashland County a safe and drug-free place to live, Lay said.
Lay said two Ashland Police Department detectives are assigned to work in cooperation with the METRICH enforcement unit, and urged the public to download the app.
“I encourage everyone in the METRICH region to download the app and use its features to assist public safety in reducing illegal drug use in our communities,” he said.
Besides Richland and Ashland counties, others within the network include Crawford, Huron, Morrow, Knox, Seneca, Marion, Hancock and Wyandot counties.
The app is available to download for free on both Android and Apple devices.
