[LordHelmit]

Meth seems like a huge problem when you are there. It seems like a lot of people use it. According to a few statistics though, Arkansas is not even in the top 10 "methiest" states. How they measured the methness seems to be meth lab incidents, so it definitely doesn't cover everything. Weed is really the biggest thing I noticed in rural AR. Everyone smokes weed. But who cares about weed, no one. That's why everyone smokes. Prescrip pills are also a big thing.

[Teddy52]

Originally Posted by nmnita

It isn't Mena, or AR or any other state: meth is everywhere. As long as you are not part of the scene you really don't have much to worry about. The meth capital of the world today, will be at the middle of the list next year and the bottom the following. Anyone can do anything with stats they want. There is plenty of meth right here in NWA and yet many of us leave our doors unlocked. We have almost no crime. There are pockets of Mena, I am sure that are not all that safe, but not the entire town.

I consider my town fairly safe but no way would I leave my doors unlocked.

[LordHelmit]

I agree I would not leave my doors unlocked anywhere in the U.S. to tell you the truth noooo way

[sholomar]

Although I support ending the drug war completely I always wonder what goes through the heads of people who use this stuff.. are they just that bored with life or something? Completely pointless drug to get addicted too.

[slingshot]

Originally Posted by augiedogie

I've been researching rural retirement in Arkansas and checked out one of my favorite towns, Mena. Then I looked at the crime stats. Big increase in burglaries and theft. Has the typical rural drug problems, meth and others come to rural arkansas also?

The other posters are correct when they say the drug problem is everywhere in the U.S. I live (retired) in the city limits of Mena and I also see evidence of a drug problem everyday. Having said that, I still like living here. The good outweighs the bad, IMO. The thing that I do not understand is where is law enforcement? They seem almost non-existent in the city and county when it comes to the problems of drugs. I believe the rise in crime is mostly due to the economy. Good jobs are hard to find here for younger folks.
To sum it up, I love Mena and Polk County in general.

[slingshot]

Originally Posted by augiedogie

I've been researching rural retirement in Arkansas and checked out one of my favorite towns, Mena. Then I looked at the crime stats. Big increase in burglaries and theft. Has the typical rural drug problems, meth and others come to rural arkansas also?

This is a mostly local forum in the Mena area. Check it out. Register to make posts.

Mena Forum?

[Old Fossil]

Originally Posted by slingshot

This is a mostly local forum in the Mena area. Check it out. Register to make posts.

Mena Forum?

Thanks slingshot. I didn't know about it.

[Old Gringo]

Originally Posted by augiedogie

I've been researching rural retirement in Arkansas and checked out one of my favorite towns, Mena. Then I looked at the crime stats. Big increase in burglaries and theft. Has the typical rural drug problems, meth and others come to rural arkansas also?

My youngest brother is a deputy sheriff in a mostly rural Arkansas county. He's been on the job a dozen years now. Not only is the drug issue a big problem, but the yearly murders in his county of 40,000 always outnumber those in my county of 600,000. Those ridgerunners like to "settle their own bidness."

[todd00]

Originally Posted by LordHelmit

I agree I would not leave my doors unlocked anywhere in the U.S. to tell you the truth noooo way

Nor would I, just too many things can happen these days. I'll tell ya a sorta quick story, I live in rural Iowa, so this guy escaped from a low security prison in one of the small towns around the area. They aren't suppose to house violent types, but he was transferred there for some reason. I think he was doing time for a burglary or a drug offense. Anyway, he burglarized a house, stole a gun. They looked for him all day but couldn't find him. A county cop comes upon him walking down the highway late in the evening, he shot the cop as he was getting out of the car, then stole the cops car. Another unit comes along and picks up the officer and they pursue him till he wrecks the car and runs into the tall cornfields to hide. Dogs, copters lots of agencies helping they couldn't find him all that next day. He hadn't gone far at all really as he had been injured a bit in the crash. They kept cruisers patrolling the area that night. After dark he breaks into a rural house close by where an elderly farm couple live, he came into their bedroom and woke them up, he had them gather some stuff up and planned to take their car. Well the couple of course was scared and unsure if he would let them live. The old guy got a shotgun out of his closet as the criminal was talking on their cellphone and not watching them. He came out of the bedroom and shot him right there in their kitchen, killing him dead. Some shocking event for that poor couple to have to deal with. So ya just never know even in a low crime area about what people may do if drugged, chased or feeling desperate.

[LordHelmit]

Originally Posted by todd00

Nor would I, just too many things can happen these days. I'll tell ya a sorta quick story, I live in rural Iowa, so this guy escaped from a low security prison in one of the small towns around the area. They aren't suppose to house violent types, but he was transferred there for some reason. I think he was doing time for a burglary or a drug offense. Anyway, he burglarized a house, stole a gun. They looked for him all day but couldn't find him. A county cop comes upon him walking down the highway late in the evening, he shot the cop as he was getting out of the car, then stole the cops car. Another unit comes along and picks up the officer and they pursue him till he wrecks the car and runs into the tall cornfields to hide. Dogs, copters lots of agencies helping they couldn't find him all that next day. He hadn't gone far at all really as he had been injured a bit in the crash. They kept cruisers patrolling the area that night. After dark he breaks into a rural house close by where an elderly farm couple live, he came into their bedroom and woke them up, he had them gather some stuff up and planned to take their car. Well the couple of course was scared and unsure if he would let them live. The old guy got a shotgun out of his closet as the criminal was talking on their cellphone and not watching them. He came out of the bedroom and shot him right there in their kitchen, killing him dead. Some shocking event for that poor couple to have to deal with. So ya just never know even in a low crime area about what people may do if drugged, chased or feeling desperate.

Exactly

"Its one of those things that feels like it would happen to someone else"
"Unfortunately, we're all "someone else" to "someone else"

No truer words have been spoken regarding this type of thing. Ever since my move from AR to NC this has certainly been the truth. And for that type of story you just described. You just never know. S*** goes down anywhere and everywhere these days.