Union County sheriff has zero tolerance for drugs

LAKE BUTLER, Fla. – Union County Sheriff Brad Whitehead held a news conference Tuesday announcing his agency has zero tolerance for illegal drugs.

Since Whitehead took office in January, officers with the Sheriff's Office have arrested over 50 suspects for drug offenses and filed over 105 charges in the 8th Judicial Circuit.

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In a followup to the latest arrests, Whitehead reinforced his message to citizens that the Sheriff's Office will strictly enforce Florida's drug control act. His department has posted 23 signs on roads entering Union County to "send a message that we do not tolerate any illegal drugs."

"If one more person chooses drugs or one more person loses their life due to illegal drugs, then we have failed," Whitehead said. "We cannot fail."

Whitehead said Union is a small county, but is fortunate to have neighboring sheriffs and correctional officers working together on a routine basis.

"This latest partnership is a demonstration of how effective we all can be when we work together to combat this plague," Whitehead said. "Working together and the sharing of resources also has a direct positive impact fiscally, as well as provides the means of intelligence gathering and sharing."