Washington Township Police have made a total of 60 arrests for individuals with controlled dangerous substances or driving while intoxicated over the first seven months of the year.

The data, spanning Jan. 1 through July 31, shows 38 total arrests have been made for individuals in Washington Township with some kind of illegal drug—controlled dangerous substance—in their possession.

Another 22 were arrested for driving while intoxicated inside the Washington Township Police jurisdiction, which includes the borough of Califon.

A large percentage of those arrests, however, have been of individuals who do not live in Washington Township. Police arrests for driving while intoxicated charges included 64-percent transients, while 63-percent of drug arrests were not residents.

The overall figures were about even with 2011’s arrest numbers, according to Washington Township Police Lt. Doug Compton.

“Our officers are very dedicated to keeping our township roadways safe for all that travel within its borders,” Compton said. “We’ll continue to fight the battle of the ongoing drug trends that Washington Township is faced with on a daily basis.”

Below is a breakdown of arrests, by type of drug, gender and residential status for controlled dangerous substances.

* - One person was arrested four times, another was arrested twice.
** - Includes arrest for possession of aerosole can for unlawful purpose, and two arrests awaiting toxicology test results.

*** - 3 arrests did not specify person's town of residence.

During the seven-month stretch, 22 individuals were arrested for driving while intoxicated on Washington Township’s roadways, half of which were 41 years of age or older.

Below is a breakdown of arrests, by gender, residential status and if the person was involved in a crash.

The data also showed a trend in age patterns for arrests in both categories. Below is a breakdown, by age, of the arrests that were made.

A total of 24 arrests were made in both categories for individuals 20 years old or younger, an amount of 40-percent of all arrests so far in 2012.

“It’s an ongoing issue that everyone, including the police department, parents and school personnel need to continue to enforce,” Compton said. “We can’t allow or condone juveniles consuming alcohol, which happens very often within the township.”

Compton said students are taught in D.A.R.E. that alcohol is a gateway to illegal drugs, and that marijuana is a gateway to stronger narcotics.

Three drug arrests were results of overdosing, which led to medical calls. One was by use of aerosol, and two others resulted in the need for toxicology reports to determine the drug. 

"We haven't had that many (overdoses) in a long time," Compton said. The 18-year department member said there was a time, more than a decade ago, that overdoses were high because heroin was being introduced to Washington Township residents at a high rate.