For Immediate Release
Friday, Sept. 2, 2016
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: john@jgpr.net
Longmont, Colo. Department of Public Safety Joins P.A.A.R.I., Launches Addiction Recovery Initiative
First P.A.A.R.I. Partner in Colorado
LONGMONT, Colo. — Public Safety Chief Mike Butler is pleased to announce that the Longmont Department of Public Safety has partnered with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative to begin an addiction recovery program.
The program launched on Aug. 31 and is modeled after the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative and the Arlington Outreach Initiative. Longmont Police and Fire are committed to:
- Encouraging drug users to seek recovery.
- Helping distribute, through Boulder County Mental Health Partners, lifesaving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses.
- Connecting addicts with treatment programs and facilities
- Providing resources to other police and fire departments and communities that want to do more to fight the drug addiction epidemic.
- Placing those struggling with the disease of addiction into treatment.
Working in conjunction with the medical community and recovery programs, the Longmont Police Department, in collaboration with the Longmont Fire Department, is focused on making a difference in town by preventing residents from overdosing on drugs, reducing the number of those struggling with the disease of addiction and decreasing the demand for opioids — thereby devaluing a seemingly endless drug supply.
“Our focus is helping those struggling with the disease of addiction by getting them the assistance they need to recover,” Chief Butler said. “Working with P.A.A.R.I., we’re confident we can change lives for the better.”
As a P.A.A.R.I. partner, the Department of Public Safety will have access to a nationwide network of treatment centers to offer recovery services to program participants. Police and firefighters will also work directly with treatment centers to secure scholarships and fully-funded treatment options for those struggling with the disease of addiction.
To fully launch their program, Longmont is seeking Boulder County treatment providers and angel volunteers, who will assist participants into recovery programs. Those with questions or in need of additional information regarding angel volunteers, should call 303-774-4440.
Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal, co-founders of P.A.A.R.I., welcome the Longmont Department of Public Safety and commend Chief Butler for making the commitment to assisting those struggling with the disease of addiction. They are excited to expand P.A.A.R.I.’s reach into Colorado and will work collaboratively with the Longmont Police and Fire Departments to provide the assistance and resources needed to ensure their program is a success.
About P.A.A.R.I.
The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) was launched to support police departments around the nation as they work to help those suffering from the disease of addiction. The United States faces a nationwide heroin and opioid epidemic, with more people now dying from overdoses than from car accidents in this country. 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 those struggling with the disease of addiction to treatment programs and facilities
- Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic
As of September 1, 2016, a total of 151 public safety agencies in 27 states across the country have launched recovery programs as P.A.A.R.I. partners.
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.
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