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Member Chris Cook warns drug activity is worsening homelessness in Bedford County
Summary
At a Nov. 14, 2023 Joint Homeless Taskforce meeting, Member Chris Cook said drug activity in the community is increasing pressures on people experiencing homelessness and stressed the role of jail-based programs in preventing reentry; Commissioner Biff Farrar urged more SRO drug-prevention training in schools.
At the Nov. 14, 2023 meeting of the Bedford County Joint Homeless Taskforce, Member Chris Cook said drugs in the community are exacerbating homelessness and emphasized the importance of programs housed in the jail system intended to prevent reentry into homelessness.
Cook framed drug activity as a key driver of local homelessness and urged continued focus on programs that provide support during and after incarceration. The meeting record characterizes his remarks as a passionate appeal to address substance-use impacts on people experiencing homelessness.
Commissioner Biff Farrar responded by proposing a prevention-focused step for schools, stating he wanted to challenge school resource officers to implement more drug-prevention training in classrooms and school communities. Farrar presented that approach as part of broader prevention efforts rather than a formal policy motion.
The exchange did not produce a recorded vote or formal directive in the meeting minutes. The taskforce discussed next steps and other business later in the agenda before adjourning at 6:15 p.m.
