Sheriff rids neighborhood of drug house

Yesterday, neighbors told Historic City News reporters that when Sheriff Shoar followed through with St Johns County Code Enforcement officials to demolish a known drug house at 1990 Powell Road in St Augustine, all they could say was, “Good Riddance”.

Since August of 2011, there have been two confirmed active methamphetamine labs and two incidents where precursors of methamphetamine were located on the property.

“Over the past several years, deputies from our Special Investigative Unit and the Clandestine Lab Enforcement Team have responded to this address multiple times,” Shoar told Historic City News.

After legal proceedings deemed the structure unsafe and uninhabitable, it was determined the home would be demolished. Crews and equipment arrived in the area at 9:00 a.m., yesterday morning to begin the project.

Shoar told reporters that his department has already begun “a concerted effort” to combat drug dwellings — specifically residential structures associated with the production of methamphetamine.

In a statement received Tuesday from Sheriff’s spokesperson, Corporal Catherine Payne, Historic City News was told, “As law enforcement and county officials become increasingly aware of the potential biohazards and environmental risks associated with the production of these drugs, they will continue to work in coordination to locate and tear down these dwellings.”