According to the Pinellas County Medical Examiner, 249 people died as a direct result of a prescription drug overdose in 2010. The medical examiner also reported that emergency room visits involving the abuse of prescription drugs increased 21 percent from 2009 to 2010, and teens admitted to treatment facilities for addiction to prescription pain relievers increased an astonishing 300 percent since the mid-1990s.
Yes, Pinellas County and St. Petersburg has a drug problem, and it involves the abuse of prescription drugs. In fact, DEA officials in St. Petersburg have gradually shifted their focus from traditional street drugs to prescription drugs to address the abuse that is so rampant in this area of Florida.
DEA Headlines in St. Petersburg
A ten-month investigation in Pinellas County, called “Operation Pill Poppers,” found 150 instances of doctor shopping, 74 arrests, and the seizure of more than 55,000 prescription pills, worth about $750,000.
Other headlines to come out of St. Petersburg, thereby highlighting the need for DEA careers in this city, include:
- September 2012: A St. Petersburg doctor was sentenced for illegally prescribing oxycodone outside his scope of practice as a result of an investigation involving the DEA Tampa District Office and the St. Petersburg Police Department.
- March 2010: A St. Petersburg drug suspect was busted with $1.5 million.
- March 2010: Nineteen people were arrested on charges related to a number of drugs, including: cocaine, crack cocaine, morphine, methadone, suboxone, heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana.
- January 2013: More than a dozen suspected drug dealers were arrested for trafficking hydrocodone and cocaine in St. Petersburg, following a four-month investigation.
How to Become DEA in St. Petersburg Through Training
Individuals seeking St. Petersburg DEA careers must meet a specific set of requirements. In particular, individuals who want to learn how to become a DEA agent in St. Petersburg by meeting the agency’s requirements must be between the ages of 21 and 36. In addition; they must be a U.S. citizen; and they must have a valid driver’s license. They must also be able to pass a thorough background investigation, and they must be in good physical condition.
Candidates for DEA jobs who don’t possess specialized experience in narcotics, surveillance, undercover operations, or apprehending/arresting individuals or those who don’t have three or more years of specialized work experience in a number of areas, including military, technical, information systems, telecommunications, engineering, or foreign languages, must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher with a GPA of at least 2.9.
Individuals who want to learn more about requirements for DEA jobs in St. Petersburg can contact the Miami Field Division (954-660-4500) or the Tampa Resident Office (813-287-5160).