NEWPORT – The arrest this week of a local man charged with selling drugs to children is signaling a new focus on the wholesale eradication of drug dealing, Police Chief James Ricker said Thursday.

“This has gone to epidemic levels,” Ricker said. “People need to wake up. Talk to their children. Pay attention to what is going on.”

After a lengthy investigation, Ricker and a search warrant team consisting of officers from Newport and Pittsfield, arrested William T. Kenniston, 20, of Willow Drive during a raid at his home at a local trailer park.

Police found two juveniles, cocaine, marijuana, blotter acid, OxyContin and other prescription drugs along with packaging materials to sell the drugs, notebooks, scales and other drug paraphernalia.

While searching Kenniston’s home, Ricker said, police officers intercepted more than 30 telephone calls in less than an hour and a half, all seeking drugs from the dealer, known as “Big Will” and “Willy.” Further arrests are likely, said the chief.

“In our opinion, through information received from the community and informants from Burnham to Corinna, he was a major player who was targeting juveniles,” Ricker said.

The chief said the police were receiving tips that Kenniston allegedly was selling drugs to students in both SAD 53 and SAD 48.

Ricker also was furious that Kenniston was released from jail Wednesday on $350 cash bail.”That he was released after being charged with Class B aggravated trafficking on just $350 bail is an outrage to the communities and to our juvenile community,” Ricker said. “The charges themselves should alert someone that we have a problem here. This arrest is just the tip of iceberg.”

Ricker said other charges involving possession of drugs with an intent to distribute will be lodged against Kenniston.

A second drug arrest was made this week, Ricker said, that was unrelated to the Kenniston raid. Jarod Fullerton, 24, of Carmel was arrested and charged with possession of methadone and drug paraphernalia.

Ricker said he began focusing more resources on drug investigations a year ago when he began noticing the number of overdose deaths in central Maine increasing.

“We’ve had four or five right here in our area in the last year,” he said. “Cocaine is back in the mainstream. Pills are prevalent. Heroin will always be there.

“We have a horrendous problem, and I want to serve notice that if you are selling drugs out there, we’re going to find you,” Ricker said. “We are committed to this cause.”