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Should the work of the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team continue in the western UP?
UPSET West was started in 2016 through a three-year pledge from the Portage Health Foundation and is further supported from contributions from local municipalities and other organizations.
Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly says the team of law enforcement officers have been very successful but they will need support from the community to continue. “Good news is that the guys have been working very hard and have been very successful. The bad part about that is that means there’s drugs out there and that also means they incur a lot more costs the busier they are,” said Donnelly.
Donnelly said they will begin working with the Portage Health Foundation in February and will hold a series of meetings to rally support to keep the team operating.
Houghton Councilmember Buck Foltz stressed the importance of continuing to fund UPSET West. “This is the time that we really need to let people know that this makes a profound difference and it could be your children or relatives that these things save because, ultimately, every time they make a bust, somebody’s life is saved,” said Foltz.
