Nearly 300 people died in Knox County due to a drug overdose in 2017, according to the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office.
The office issued its 2017 report on overdose victims and the criminal justice system Wednesday morning, Oct. 10.
The report states the Drug Related Death Task Force opened 172 homicide investigations originating from a fatal overdose. For the first time in the history of the Knox County District Attorney's Office, these investigations led to 11 drug dealers being charged with homicide.
"By going in and investigating an overdose death as a crime scene, as a potential homicide, we have been able to successfully charge in 2017 11 second degree homicides," Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen said.
The 172 homicide investigations led to 259 additional investigations, according to the DA's office. Out of the 259 investigations, more than 100 people have been charged with felony drug offenses to date.
The Knox County Regional Forensic Center’s most recent Drug Related Death Report indicates that the top four drugs found through autopsies in Knox County, include Fentanyl and Analogues, Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Heroin.
"In 2017, the percentage of total fatal overdose victims who had a Knox County arrest record in the five years prior to death remained the same but the proportion of people who died and were recently released from jail is increasing," the report states.
Allen emphasized the face that the data showed those overdosing in the community are those in the criminal justice system.
The deaths involve a significant amount of drug-related crime which otherwise would have fallen through the cracks. According to district attorney's office, the investigations are resulting in successful prosecution.
"As part of my approach to be tough on crime and smart on prevention, my office will continue to collaborate with community partners well-positioned to address and reduce the demand for drugs. Together, we can keep Knox County safe and reclaim lives not yet lost through prevention, treatment, and law enforcement measures,” Allen said in a news release attached to the report.
The Drug Related Task Force is a multi-agency investigation and prosecution team who examines overdoses that occur in Knox County as a means to combat the opiate epidemic.
Allen said the workload of the District Attorney General's Felony Drug Unit increased 118 percent, and she calls that a double-edged sword.
"We're doing great work, we're prosecuting those that need to be prosecuted and we're getting the drugs off our street," Allen said. "But we are at a staffing critical mass."
The goal of the task force is to decrease overdoses by holding drug dealers accountable when their drug trafficking leads to overdose deaths.
The task force also gains intelligence about the opiate epidemic that can be used by member agencies and others across the country to fight this increasing problem.
"We need collaborative partners to deal with the treatment part because we are all dealing with the exact same individuals," Allen said. "So it's another opportunity for collaboration in our community to deal with both the crime problem and the addiction problem."