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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Noting he prefers to &#8220;look forward&#8221; rather than grade his own past performance, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro outlined goals that include expansion of programs into Luzerne County that would target illegal guns in Hazleton and drug abuse county-wide.</p><p>Shapiro also said he would like to see more extensive, and ongoing, training for municipal police officers. He said he has implemented training in his own office.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m very data-driven,&#8221; Shapiro said during a visit with the Times Leader editorial board Wednesday. In fact, data on heroin and opioid abuse prompted his visit to Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, where he provided drug-disposal bags to area pharmacies.</p><p>The bags are water-tight and contain a chemical that neutralizes the active ingredients in pills, liquids and patches; put the drugs in the bag, add water, shake and wait before disposing. The method is billed as environmentally friendly, and 300,000 are being distributed to pharmacies in 12 counties hit hardest by opioid abuse.</p><p>The goal is to give a free bag to anyone filling a prescription for a narcotic known to have a high potential for abuse. Disposing of unused drugs keeps them out of the hands of abusers.</p><p>Shapiro said the opioid epidemic is a top priority, but also discussed other issues:</p><p>&#8226; A program designed to catch and prosecute those with illegal guns in Philadelphia has led to thousands of cases and an 80 percent conviction rate. Shapiro wants additional funding to expand it to several other cities known to have a problem with illegal weapons, including Hazleton.</p><p>&#8226; Noting he has rarely spoken to her, Shapiro said he has worked to restore trust in the Attorney General&#8217;s office following the conviction of Kathleen Kane for leaking secret grand jury information. Kane, of Scranton, resigned as attorney general and is appealing her jail sentence.</p><p>&#8226; Asked if recent charges of sexual abuse against a retired priest in western Pennsylvania meant more such charges will be coming, Shapiro declined comment, stressing the secrecy of the grand jury process that prompted the charges. Asked specifically if the investigation reached into the Diocese of Scranton, he said only that &#8220;the grand jury made it clear that this is very much an ongoing investigation.&#8221;</p><p>&#8226; Shapiro believes there should be &#8220;more police training&#8221; following controversial use of deadly force nationwide. Pennsylvania requires Act 120 training for municipal police officers, yet Shapiro said prior to his arrival the Attorney General&#8217;s office did not require Act 120 training for its agents. He requires that and additional training. Expanding the requirement statewide would involve legislative action, he added.</p><p>&#8226; Collaboration with local agencies is a big part of his approach, Shapiro said. &#8220;We are coordinating very effectively with the local DAs and detectives and police chiefs.&#8221;</p><p>While he insisted giving himself a grade for his first six months in office wasn&#8217;t an option, Shapiro did tout several other initiatives, including the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Unit to combat financial scams; a broad multi-state investigation into large pharmaceutical companies in the fight against opioid abuse; and a multi-state lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education to maintain federal regulations designed to protect college students from abusive loan practices.</p><p>Acknowledging he did not vote for President Donald Trump, Shapiro said: &#8220;I made it very clear, if he does something to help Pennsylvania, I&#8217;ll stand right there with him &#8230; but when he does something to undermine the interests of the country, I&#8217;ll stand up to him, and I&#8217;ll sue.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Drug-disposal pouches like this one are being used by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro to fight opioid abuse. They are being distributed to pharmacies in counties hardest hit by the problem. A chemical inside the bag neutralizes the active ingredients in pills. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_RotatedPouch.cmyk_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Drug-disposal pouches like this one are being used by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro to fight opioid abuse. They are being distributed to pharmacies in counties hardest hit by the problem. A chemical inside the bag neutralizes the active ingredients in pills. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL072717shapiro1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the Times Leader editorial board Wednesday that his office &#8216;is working again. It&#8217;s tackling the big fights.&#8217; He also talked about restoring the office&#8217;s integrity. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL072717shapiro1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the Times Leader editorial board Wednesday that his office &#8216;is working again. It&#8217;s tackling the big fights.&#8217; He also talked about restoring the office&#8217;s integrity. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL072717shapiro2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro talks with the Times Leader editorial board at the newspaper&#8217;s office in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Shapiro spoke about what he&#8217;s accomplished during his first six months in office. He called the heroin and opioid crisis the &#8216;number one public safety threat.&#8217; Shapiro plans to attack the problem in a variety of ways. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL072717shapiro2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro talks with the Times Leader editorial board at the newspaper&#8217;s office in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Shapiro spoke about what he&#8217;s accomplished during his first six months in office. He called the heroin and opioid crisis the &#8216;number one public safety threat.&#8217; Shapiro plans to attack the problem in a variety of ways. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

State AG Shapiro talks opioid abuse, illegal guns and police training