Forty percent of the crimes that occur in Schuylkill County are drug-related.

Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine A. Holman on Wednesday responded to the opioid addiction in the area as she addressed the Tamaqua Rotary/Chamber of Commerce at Trinity United Church of Christ in Tamaqua.Holman said the county DA's office investigated 2,529 criminal cases last year, and expects another 2,500 or so to be the norm, adding that the number will only continue to grow as long as the current drug problem persists.She said there is much reliance on the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force, and shared statistics that were compiled from 2013-16.Holman said that in 2016, there were 750 hours of overtime hours paid and 143 arrests. Of those, 67 were methamphetamine felony arrests, and 32 heroin felony arrests.In 2015, she said there were 757 hours of overtime paid, and 72 arrests, nine of which were methamphetamine felony arrests, and 34 heroin felony arrests.Holman said that in 2014, there were 556 overtime hours paid, and 48 arrests, nine of which were methamphetamine felony arrests and 12 heroin felony arrests.In 2013, she said there were 327 overtime hours paid, nine of which were methamphetamine felony arrests and nine heroin felony arrests.Since becoming District Attorney in January 2014, Holman said the amount of overtime reimbursed to municipal police departments has increased dramatically, which she said is a direct correlation of getting more municipal police officers involved in doing drug investigations throughout the county.She said arrests have also increased, though that statistic will fluctuate yearly due to the involvement of confidential informants.Holman heaped praise on borough police Chief Rick Weaver, along with the police department, which she said is one of the best in the county.She said that 40 percent of the 2,652 criminal cases in 2015 were drug complaints and drug crimes."Drug dealers are coming to where the market is happening," said Holman, adding that unfortunately includes the Tamaqua area.She said the county prison is filled to capacity, and lauded the recent formation of the Schuylkill County Adult Treatment Court Program.Holman said the program is a court-supervised program for nonviolent defendants that requires a minimum of 14 months to complete, and is comprised of five phases.In 2016, 77 deaths were a result of drug overdoses, which is unheard of for the county, Holman said. She added that she believes there have been 15 this year based on recent statistics.