The Push out the Pusher Drug Hotline now has a toll-free number for residents in areas of Blair County where the regular number would be a toll call.
Blair County Commissioner Donna Gority explained the reason for the move in an interview with The Daily Herald earlier this week. She said county officials were aware that people in the Tipton, Bellwood and Tyrone areas had to make a long distance call to phone the hotline, which is a Hollidaysburg phone number.
“We wanted to be able to meet the needs of the people in that area,” said Gority. “We have neighborhood watch groups and certainly individual citizens who want to report things that they see that are of concern.
“We worked on it and fortunately we were able to come up with a toll-free number, which is the exact same phone number (693-3020) as (the local number), but for people for whom Hollidaysburg would be a long distance call they can dial 1-866 in front of it,” said Gority.
She said those residents who can call 693-3020, as a local call should continue to do so. She indicated the county would be charged if someone uses the toll-free number when they could have used the local number.
Gority also noted the value of the hotline in Blair County.
She said, “The state’s Attorney General’s office and the Drug Task Force has used this line extensively in the investigations and the arrests they have made. It is really important that people call when they see suspicious activity and report it.
“It’s not however an emergency line,” said Gority. “If you see something happening that needs an immediate police response call 9-1-1, don’t call this (the drug hotline) number. This is an investigation line- it’s a line that the appropriate law enforcement officers do use as they are investigating potential drug dealing and other related criminal activities.”
In various press releases issued in 2005 and this year, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has cited the Push out the Pusher hotline as having aided investigations that led to drug busts in Blair County.
The Push Out The Pusher new toll free hotline is 1-866-693-3020. The line is available 24 hours a day.
