Addiction was the primary underlying cause of several notable calls to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Wednesday morning.

According to the department, "We are often asked how many of our calls are related to addiction or mental health related issues. Although coexisting conditions certainly exist, this morning's (Wednesday) calls were predominately related to drug use."

In a Facebook post, the department outlined three incidents that took place before 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, all of them resulting from complications and consequences of people in the thrall of addiction.

The first of the trio was a burglary.

A resident of the Four Corners area reported hearing people at a neighboring property where the homeowner was away, and a car not belonging to the homeowner was also seen at the property.

Deputies responded and contacted two women who were removing items from the home. The pair claimed they had permission from the homeowner, who was contacted but denied knowing the women.

"Both suspects, who are known to be suffering from addiction, were taken into custody and booked at the JCSO jail for residential burglary," the Sheriff's Office said on the Facebook post.

At the time of the call, there were only two on duty deputies available to respond, department officials said.
One additional deputy was able to respond, though that deputy had been scheduled to be off-duty and was completing reports from a previous DUI call earlier that same morning.

Next, at about 6:30 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a suspicious subject near the Hood Canal Bridge.

A caller said someone had parked in the roadway and the driver was slumped over the passenger seat with a shirt over his head.

Deputies responded and discovered a man previously known to officers who was suffering from addiction.

"The suspect was also a person of interest in a call the previous day involving a rental car having been left half submerged in Sandy Shore Lake," the department reported. "The deputy noted what appeared to be drugs and drug paraphernalia in the front seat of the car. The suspect was booked at the JCSO Jail."

Finally, at about 7 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a domestic situation in Port Hadlock, where an irate caller reported an unwanted subject in her house.

The Sheriff's Office said deputies were on other calls, so detectives responded to the residence and found a man, who is known to be suffering from addiction, inside the home and refusing to leave.

The homeowner did not want to pursue charges and just wanted the subject out of her home.

"Detectives were able to negotiate with the subject to leave on his own accord," the department reported.