Happily surprised to see in today’s Atlantic a fascinating interview with Gloucester Chief of Police Leonard Campanello. He started a Facebook post that already has 1.5 million hits, generated a community wide forum that lead to a radical solution to the opiate problem, and has bipartisan support from State Sen. Bruce Tarr, Congressman Moulton, and Senators Markey and Warren-who will all be presenting Campenello’s new strategy for tackling addiction before Congress. The strategy=decriminalize drug addiction and get addicts the help they need.
From the article:
Any addict who walks into the police station with the remainder of their drug equipment (needles, etc) or drugs and asks for help will NOT be charged. Instead we will walk them through the system toward detox and recovery. We will assign them an “angel” who will be their guide through the process. Not in hours or days, but on the spot.
Narcan, the artificial opiate drug to prevent overdose will now be available for free over the counter at Gloucester drug stores to anyone who needs it. The coverage has been paid for using revenues seized from drug dealers.
Highlights from the Interview:
There’s an expectation among the public and even those who use this drug that the health community is there to help and to treat it as a disease, but the police department is there to treat it as a crime. And when we start seeing lives lost because of it, and we don’t see any results from an enforcement standpoint, we have to start looking at it differently.
I think law enforcement in general needs to focus on supply as well, but we need to be doing much more with demand. I think that we’re getting close to really proving that attacking the supply is not working and I think that we need to spend a lot more time on the demand. This initiative is one of the ways that we can be compassionate, progressive, bipartisan, and unilateral, because we’re talking about saving lives, and I think the bottom line is it’s the right thing to do.
Kudos to Chief Campanello and our local policy leaders for this innovative approach to policing and addiction treatment. I am proud to see so many local leaders step up to solve this problem, and to see Massachusetts once again be a leader in public health.
thebaker says
This is a step in the right direction. What I find most uplifting is this …
Thanks for the read jconway, I’m forwarding this article to the Chief of Police in my hometown. Other towns should pay attention.
pogo says
…detox beds available?
A wonderful break through in attitude, but lack of proper treatment resources still cripples the system.
jconway says
For talking to your police chief. I love that this was a local solution to a local problem and the entire community got together to hammer our a policy that worked for everyone involved. This is a potentially a real, community by community model and approach to this vexing issue. I have a family member who would’ve benefited from this approach instead of getting locked up, so this hits home, reading it made my morning.
Christopher says
My one question would be how much discretion does a local police department have regarding whether to enforce the law (though now that I think of it, didn’t we already decriminalize by ballot question)?
Jasiu says
We’re talking about addiction here. Opiates.
Christopher says
Between thinking I hear marijuana when this story was on the news and remembering several exchanges with the diarist on marijuana specifically they got conflated in my mind. Carry on.
kirth says
They’re pretty happy with the results.
eb3-fka-ernie-boch-iii says
when can I start blogging.
Defaltegate and the hearing on the injunction the Pats will apply for get soon in Norfolk superior must be addressed.
For the love of God, man, Tom Brady needs me.
eb3-fka-ernie-boch-iii says
something i said?