For Immediate Release
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: john@jgpr.net
La Porte City, Ind. Police Department Joins P.A.A.R.I. To Launch Addiction Recovery Initiative
LA PORTE, Ind. – Chief Adam Klimczak announces that the La Porte City Police Department has partnered with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) to expand the department’s addiction recovery program, the La Porte County Angel Initiative.
The department officially launched its program on April 21, modeling it after the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative. The La Porte County Angel Initiative encourages residents who want to overcome their addiction to simply walk into the police station, turn over their drugs and paraphernalia and ask for help. Those who do this will not be charged. Instead, they will be placed into a drug treatment program regardless of their financial means or insurance coverage. Program participants will be assigned a volunteer “angel” who will help guide and support them on their road to recovery.
“We are honored to partner alongside so many forward thinking law enforcement agencies in an effort to save lives and destigmatize the disease of addiction,” Chief Klimczak said. “Our department is eager to continue working with P.A.A.R.I. and our local partners to provide treatment options to those in our community who suffer from addiction.”
Joining with P.A.A.R.I. will give the La Porte City Police Department access to a nationwide network of treatment centers to offer recovery services to program participants. Additionally, La Porte City Police have also partnered with the La Porte Hospital and the Swanson Center to further their department’s initiative and educate residents about the resources that are available within their community.
Chief Campanello and John Rosenthal, co-founders of P.A.A.R.I., are pleased to welcome the La Porte City Police Department to the growing list of law enforcement partners who have committed themselves to bridging the gap between police departments and those who suffer from the disease of addiction. They commend Chief Klimczak and his staff for taking the necessary steps to help those who are suffering from addiction and for working to change the way law enforcement handles this devastating disease.
About P.A.A.R.I.
P.A.A.R.I. was started to support local police departments as they work with those struggling with the disease of addiction. Rather than arrest our way out of the problem of drug addiction, P.A.A.R.I. committed police departments:
- Encourage opioid drug users to seek recovery
- Help distribute life saving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses
- Connect people suffering with opioid addiction with treatment programs and facilities
- Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic
P.A.A.R.I. was created by Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal to bridge the gap between police departments and those struggling with the disease of addiction. Since its founding, police departments in 24 states have joined as partners with the initiative.
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