Nearly two dozen people went to jail this week as Winchester Police officers and detectives served a slew of drug trafficking indictment warrants.

The arrests were the result of a months-long investigation in which detectives made one or more undercover buys from alleged dealers. The investigation netted suspected dealers of a variety of dangerous drugs ranging from oxycodone to methampehtamine and heroin.

There are still about a half-dozen warrants remaining, according to police.

Although we understand all of the suspects are innocent until proven guilty, we must commend WPD for the work not only on this investigation but every day to keep our community safe.

In this case, the police are one integral part of a community effort to combat an ever-growing drug problem.

The issue of drugs is not one that is unique to Winchester and Clark County. It is an epidemic that grows nationwide as drugs resurface and new variations are introduced. Sadly, people are dying at alarming rates from overdoses and rates of diseases transmitted by drug use are skyrocketing.

There are many approaches to fighting this problem, but one important way is to start at the source. These arrests not only get suspected dealers off the streets, it sets a precedent. It proves that drug trafficking will not be tolerated, and our community and police are dedicated to cleaning up this problem.