FLORENCE, AZ (May 7th, 2024) - The Pinal County Attorney's Office encourages all families to have tough conversations about the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl, as the powerful synthetic opioid is increasingly ravaging communities across the country.

Tuesday marks National Fentanyl Awareness Day, an opportunity to raise awareness about the drug, which is often found mixed into other pills and substances, and can lead to fatal overdoses. This also affects unsuspecting youth who take pills obtained or purchased on social media, unaware it contains fentanyl.

"Fentanyl is destroying our communities and it is as important as ever to have conversations with your loved ones, especially your children," said County Attorney Kent Volkmer. "We are committed to holding dealers accountable, but this is a collective community effort to reduce both supply and demand for this dangerous drug."

The prevalence of fentanyl is rapidly increasing across the country. The Pinal County Attorney's Office charged only nine fentanyl drug cases back in 2019, with that number surging to nearly 600 in 2023.

The Pinal County Attorney's Office has seen a sharp uptick in the number of fentanyl drug cases charged in each of the past five years:

2023: 582

2022: 300

2021: 150

2020: 52

2019: 09

Recently, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb joined County Attorney Volkmer on the 'Courtroom Chronicles' podcast to discuss fentanyl, and you can see that conversation below.

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(FLORENCE, AZ) - The Pinal County Attorney's Office is sponsoring a free document shredding event in Florence on Saturday, May 4th.

The document shredding will also include the ability to properly dispose of old or unused medication, thanks to the Florence Police Department which will be on hand.

This event is a good opportunity to shred and dispose of sensitive information, such as old tax records or medical documents.

When: Saturday, May 4th, 2024

Where: Kassie Kennaugh - Allstate at Anthem (3281 N. Hunt Highway, Florence)

Time: 9:00am - 11:00am

Suggested donations include toiletries such as tooth brushes or shampoo that will go to benefit Pinal County abuse shelters.

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FLORENCE, AZ - The Pinal County Attorney's Office had a record turnout for April's Citizens Academy.

41 Pinal County residents attended the April 20th event, which marked the second PCAO Citizens Academy of the year. Attendees heard from County Attorney Kent Volkmer, a deputy county attorney from the Trial Bureau, had the chance to review real cases prosecuted by the office, use a shooting simulator and tour the county jail.

The Citizens Academy is an opportunity to educate the community on the criminal justice process and answer questions from the public. We appreciate everyone who attended and invested their time in learning more about the county attorney's office.

The next Citizens Academy is set for June 22nd.

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