For Immediate Release

Monday, May 16, 2016

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Gloucester ANGEL Initiative, P.A.A.R.I. Recognized in IACP Report

GLOUCESTER — Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal, co-founders of the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), are pleased to announce that both P.A.A.R.I. and the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative were included in the latest International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) report, entitled “Addressing 21st Century Drug Issues: Law Enforcement’s Leadership Role.”

The report, which the IACP releases for its members worldwide, addresses law enforcement’s role in the opioid crisis currently sweeping the nation, suggesting that the most effective practices include identifying opioid addicts and diverting them to treatment programs.

The IACP then points to the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative, the first treatment diversion plan of its kind in the country. The report calls the initiative “a police approach that was based on human caring and addressing and solving the core addiction problem versus short-term punitive actions.” It then summarizes the program’s three-pronged approach to recovery: the department facilitates treatment, provides nasal narcan to those who cannot afford it, and works towards new state legislation relating to drug enforcement and treatment. 

“The IACP is the worldwide standard for police professionals and being included in their report as a model in how law enforcement can be effective in dealing with the opioid crisis is a great legitimization of the Gloucester Initiative and PAARI’s mission,” Chief Campanello said. “The voice of law enforcement has the ability to end the stigma of the disease of addiction and has an obligation to do so. While we recognize the need to continue to take action against those who deal misery and death on our streets, we must equally acknowledge that all those suffering from addiction are victims of the illicit drug trade and the overprescribing of pain medications. They should not be further hurt by arrest or incarceration. Immediate and sustainable care for every person suffering from addiction is the goal, and we intend on continuing to do everything we can to support that goal.”

“The Gloucester ANGEL Initiative is saving lives everyday and it’s replicable in every community struggling with the epidemic of opioid addiction,” Rosenthal said. “P.A.A.R.I. now has over 100 police department and 250 treatment center partners across the United States. We’ve created a national model for law enforcement to be a much need entry point into treatment and it’s great to be recognized by the IACP.”

The IACP is a dynamic organization that serves as the professional voice of law enforcement, addressing cutting edge issues confronting law enforcement through advocacy, programs and research, as well as training and other professional services.

About the Gloucester Angel Initiative:

The Gloucester Addiction Initiative, started by police Chief Leonard Campanello, seeks to provide treatment to those struggling with the disease of addiction instead of putting them behind bars. The police department works with several local treatment centers and clinics to place them in recovery programs instead of in the hands of law enforcement. When an addict walks into the police station and asks for help getting into a rehab facility, the department couples that person with an “angel,” a volunteer that helps guide the individual through the process. The participant is evaluated, their needs are assessed and they are fast tracked into a local detox program.

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 to:

• 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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