photo Jermaine Galloway aka “Tall Cop” speaks during the workshop he led at the Building Healthy Families office.

Jermaine Galloway, or “Tall Cop,” gave a day-long educational workshop April 3 on drug and alcohol awareness and prevention at Building Healthy Families.

Galloway is an ex-Division One basketball player and gained his moniker from his six-foot nine-inch height. He is currently an Idaho police officer, serving since 1997, and has over 11 years of service in underage drinking and drug enforcement.

The event attracted scores of professionals involved in law enforcement, schools and social agencies from Baker, Wallowa and Union counties.

Galloway said he often visits rural communities. “A lot of times I’ll do training like this for professionals, or I’ll do community nights also. With my schedule, we couldn’t get a community night,” Galloway said.

Drug problems in rural communities aren’t so different from cities, according to Galloway. “You find differences in cities, but it’s not based so much on size, but on the region.”

Galloway said drug availability often determines popularity in a region, as well as state laws. “What’s available to you over the counter? What would you get in trouble for if you did get caught? Whether it’s a serious offense or a minor offense plays into this too.”

Galloway said he thought he’d like to see drug offenses handled consistently throughout the state so problems don’t get pushed to certain areas viewed as more lax on enforcement.

The amount of revenue received by drug prevention and treatment programs will dictate the future of drug use, according to Galloway. “We’re seeing prevention dollars get cut in some ways, and we’re seeing people who are wanting and needing to get into treatment who can’t because of a lack of beds and facilities. A lot will depend on grants and financial support we get to help people,” Galloway said.

Education, not scare tactics, are the key to curb drug use, Galloway said. “We all know someone who uses drugs and has not been in jail or crashed their car. We need to educate them on the facts. Not just what we believe, but what are the actual costs, the actual harms.”

Jason Wilcox, Wallowa County prevention coordinator, said of the event, “We were very excited to be able to provide the opportunity for Tall Cop, Jermaine Galloway, to come to Wallowa County and provide an educational opportunity for professionals in our region. Part of prevention is creating awareness and educating partners in current and upcoming drug trends. If awareness is created, it allows teachers, law enforcement, first responders and other professionals to better respond to and handle potentially harmful situations in the future.”