DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - After years of Duluth’s drug and opioid crisis shattering tragic records, there are signs of hope.

Overdose numbers have started to come down.

New DPD figures show a drop over the last year-and-a-half.

Many credit St. Louis County’s Treatment Court and other compassionate approaches to addiction and mental health disorders.

Still, there’s a long way to go.

While there are many contributing factors to the crisis, prosecutors and law enforcement say part of the problem is the people who prey on addicts are able to re-offend time and again with little consequence.

As the sun rises over the city on a mid-October day, tourists snap photos and take in the views.

To these outside observers, it’s the start of another perfect Duluth day.

However, a closer

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