After check a defendant seek to flush his hoard of meth down the toilet earlier this month , the Loretto Police Department in Tennesseepostedon Facebook warning hoi polloi against doing the same , as the drugs could leak out into nearby bodies of water and create “ meth - gator . ”
The place went viral , generate dozen of news report from New Zealand to China and causing the constabulary force out to feel the need to issue a elucidation : They were just joking — drug - addictedalligatorsdon’t really exist ( that they know of ) .
“ Alas , the meth - gator is not real , ” they said in a Facebookposton July 19 . “ Let ’s say that again : THE METH GATOR IS NOT ( at this fourth dimension ) REAL . We ’ve had to explicate that to our cousins across the pond double . ”
Loretto Police Chief Bobby Joe KillentoldABC News that the comment about meth - gator was meant to be a lighthearted way to get people to give care to the real message : Do n’t flush drugs down the toilet .
“ We take our job badly , but we care to joke amongst ourselves at the department , ” Killen said . “ When you exploit eight , 10 - hour shifts in our product line of work , there are time when we like to laugh a little moment . Otherwise , you take problems home . ”
Though Killen does n’t know of any report of methed - upanimalsin the region , gators or otherwise , there are emphatically drug - addicted animals elsewhere in the world . One Australian prison house even launched a program where staff and inmates help rehabilitate animals like pythons , bearded dragon , and drab - tongue lizards deliver by police during meth - science lab raids or found in the area . What does a meth - python act like ? Ian Mitchell , a senior overseer for the deftness , toldThe Telegraphthe python was more fast-growing , mixed-up , and erratic than normal .
The Loretto Police Department is design to reverse the worldwide misunderstanding into a philanthropic endeavor , and they ’re hoping to launch a internet site soon where you could buy shirt and other items that feature themes from their funniest meth - alligator mail service . All the proceeds will go to a local charity that supports children feign by drug utilization .
[ h / tABC News ]
