APD Gets Grant Funding Drug Addiction Outreach Program

The Arlington Police department announced the creation of the Arlington Outreach Initiative, aimed at helping those suffering from drug addiction.

The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) announce it will award a $5,000 grant to a Massachusetts police department, funding the creation of a drug addiction outreach program in the community selected, according to authorities. Beginning this week, police officers will team up with a Public Health Clinician to do direct, door-to-door outreach to drug addicts, previous overdose patients and their families, according to APD.

The idea for the program reportedly came after the arrest of an alleged heroin dealer in Arlington, authorities said. Police are planning to reach out to people connected to the alleged drug dealer, with the goal of educating families, providing potentially life-saving Nasal Narcan and increasing awareness of treatment options and available resources.

“In the past, we would not do anything with this information we learned about the customers of drug dealers, and the addicts would simply find a new dealer for their next fix,” APD Chief Frederick Ryan said. “The time for inaction is over.”

Authorities said the Arlington Outreach Initiative was inspired by the Gloucester Police Department ANGEL Initiative. The ANGEL Initiative allows those suffering from drug addiction to turn over remaining drugs and paraphernalia to the Gloucester Police without the threat of arrest and then fast-tracks the participant into a treatment center.

Additionally, Arlington Police said the department will commit a portion of its criminal asset forfeiture funding to help subsidize the purchase of Narcan for uninsured and under-insured residents.