CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A mini block party was held Thursday at Mary C. Snow Elementary with different activities and demonstrations.
The event was sponsored by the Charleston Police Department’s Drug Marketing Intervention Program. Captain Paul Perdue said the community aspect of the block party was important.
“The purpose of this event is to bring the community together in atmosphere that helps it blend and be more productive,” Perdue said.
He said that drug use has become a major problem in Charleston, and the West Side in particular is an area that needed to be cleaned up.
“We’re trying to target the West Side in particular. It is an epidemic right now and it’s something we’re trying to be more proactive about in our approach,” he said. “The elementary school is the center of the West Side. It’s a place that everybody knows, they can get together and find easily.”
The event featured fire safety and police K-9 demonstrations as well. Perdue said that it’s important for drug education to start early, and for children to understand the pills in particular “aren’t just medication” and can “easily become a drug if they’re abused.”