W’port Red Men address drug problems

Increased police calls from the Westernport Black Hawk Tribe 131 Order of the Red Men have Westernport Council members concerned about the activity going on inside and around the fraternity.

Drug paraphernalia has recently been discovered by Westernport police all around the facility, which raised the question to town council why the fraternity does not assist in the drug problem occurring at the 108-year-old organization that is a prominent icon in the community, having raised thousands of dollars over the years for various charitable causes.

“We get calls every day from the Red Men,” said Police Commissioner Tammy Kady. “You guys are letting this go on inside the bar. You can’t tell me you don’t know. People are going out of the bar into the parking lot doing a drug deal.”

Dee Whetzel, a member of the Petunia Council of the Red Men, says the Redman cannot search anybody in their bar without probable cause.

“We can’t stop and search them if we think they are a drug dealer or got something,” said Whetzel. “We have to have probable cause to stop them and that’s where you come in.”

Whetzel went on to explain that the Black Hawk Tribe is governed by law, “just like that of the town,” and if they were to throw someone out that they suspect to be involved in illegal activity, they could face tribal charges.

“They could bring tribal charges against us through the Great Council of the United States,” said Whetzel, about the national organization of the improved order of Red Men comprised of representatives of State Great Councils.

When asked if she thought that non-members of the Red Men could be dealing drugs in the fraternity, she responded that only members are allowed in the Red Men and all other individuals can enter as “guests”.

“Non-members can come in as guests of members and they could bring tribal charges through them,” said Dee, if the Red Men were to wrongly accuse a non-member of possessing or dealing drugs on Red Men grounds.

Kady responded that it is the Red Men’s responsibility to make calls to the police
“ASAP” if they suspect drug activity occurring.

“We are getting phone calls from people inside the bar saying that in the bathroom there is a drug deal going on,” said Kady. “When that happens you have to call us ASAP. If you can help us, we can bust them right on the spot.”

Westernport town attorney Jim Carksadon says that if members of the Red Men don’t report suspected drug activity and take action that they could face consequences from the Drug Forfeiture Act.

“If there are drug sales going on in the building, the Red Men would be subject to forfeiture,” said Carskadon. “It has happened other places in the Tri-Towns and they were shut down. It is a very serious federal law and all proceeds from the bar go to the U.S. Treasury and they take control of the sales.”

Streets Commissioner Dick Legge, who is a member of the Red Men, believes there are a select number of individuals giving the century-old fraternity a bad reputation.

“Not everyone in the bar is sitting there being a druggie,” said Legge. “It is not a drug house down there. I go in there.”

Red Men member Jim Minoque says he would like to see a committee formed comprised of members of the community, priests, council members, and other non-profit organizations to address the growing drug problem in the city.

“I’d like to see this town with members of the town council form a committee to identify this problem and take the users off the streets,” said Minoque. “I saw drug deals happen behind the caboose. I had the police go down to the river bottom to look for drug paraphernalia and find it.”

Minoque compared Westernport’s drug problem to that of larger cities.

“This town has a drug culture that is as bad as any major municipality,” said Minoque.
Smith, who is also a member of the Red Men, told Minoque next time there is a meeting he will be in attendance.

“The next time you have a meeting and want me down there, I’ll come,” said Smith.
Minoque added that he definitely wants the Mayor in attendance since he is a brother of the organization.

Smith emphasized that he does not want to see anything happen to the organization that has assisted in so many local causes throughout the years, including their national charity – The Alzheimer’s Organization.

“I want the Red Men to survive,” said Smith. “They have got to survive.”

Bobbie L. Carpenter can be reached at bobbie@newstribune.info