Merrill Police Department offers to test drugs for coronavirus

By Shereen Siewert

A police department in central Wisconsin is using a clever way to catch people with drugs in their possession.

In a Facebook post, the Merrill Police Department is offering a free test of drugs for anyone who recently purchased methamphetamine.

“If you have recently purchased Meth, it may be contaminated with the Corona Virus,” the post reads. “Please take it to the Merrill Police Department and we will test it for free. If you’re not comfortable going into an office setting, please request any officer and they’ll test your Meth in the privacy of your home. Please spread the word! We are here for you!

As of Saturday morning the post was shared more than 7,000 times and generated more than 1,900 comments. Reactions ranged from humor to fear to criticism.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the coronavirus can spread form person-to-person, and only medical professionals can test a person for the virus.

While it might seem like a long shot, police say the attempt still had some potential to take harmful drugs off the street.

“Just to give you some history, we have actually experienced people report their illegal drugs being stolen, being ripped off in a drug deal, being sold a look-a-like illegal substance, etc.,” police said in a follow up Facebook post. “We have even experienced drunk drivers coming to pick up arrested drunk drivers as their “sober responsible party.”

“We will take those easy grabs at removing poison from our community whenever we can,” the post reads.”

For more information on the coronavirus, click here.