Addiction Recovery Help Coming From Chesco Police

WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County law enforcement officers have helped dozens of addicts get free treatment instead of being locked behind bars for committing crimes, officials reported Tuesday.

The officers are participating in Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s statewide Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative, LETI, which began in March in Chester County.

The goal of the initiative is to connect individuals suffering from substance use disorder with treatment options.

Ryan reported that is what is happening.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are pleased with the support we’ve received from law enforcement and our community stakeholders,” Ryan said. “This program will save lives.”

Ryan said that the county is doing a lot to help with the addiction problem, but needs to do more.

Before the program even started, Chester County had seen a 37% decline in drug overdose deaths. In 2017, the county lost 144 residents to overdoses. In comparison in 2021, the county lost 90.

Steve Forzato, director of the Center for Addiction and Recovery Education at St. Joseph’s University, provides training for the LETI initiative.

Forzato, who spent 35 years in law enforcement, said that he initially thought that arrests were the way to go, but has since realized that addiction has to be treated differently.

Ryan agreed, noting that there are some people you deal with in the criminal justice system who should be treated rather than locked up.

“I’ve talked to police and law enforcement leaders, and they understand that this is an issue we need to be more creative about,” Ryan said. “What we’ve been doing has worked to some extent – we have great treatment courts, medication disposal days, and medication drop-off boxes. But we need to do more.”

If you or anyone you know suffers from a substance use disorder, contact law enforcement for help. Police help connect people to treatment at no cost.