In the last two years, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office seizures of firearms associated with crimes have increased from 153 to 252. These guns have recently been connected to drug dealers, detectives say, and the type of firearm runs the gamut from handguns to rifles.
These firearms were confiscated during an arrest or as part of an investigation; the figures do not include, for instance, guns turned into the Sheriff’s headquarters or guns impounded during domestic violence arrests.
Many possible explanations for the uptick exist, Sheriff’s detectives explained in a recent interview. One theory is connected to the surge in heroin occurring here and across the country. The over-prescription of painkillers several years ago left many people addicted to opioids, and after doctors stopped doling out pills, users turned to cheaper black tar heroin. Drug dealers are often armed because they could be a target of other dealers. “They are carrying an item that is worth money,” Detective Tyler Yeates said. “It’s not uncommon for drug dealers to get ripped off.”