BOSTON, MA April 24, 2024 – The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is excited to announce the next guests of the nonprofit’s Partner Spotlight Series, a program that highlights an outstanding PAARI partner on the last Tuesday of each month.
April’s Partner Spotlight Series will feature Dennis Lowe, Commander for the South Central Ohio Major Crimes Unit, Scott Duff, Director of the Fairfield County Overdose Response Team (FORT), and Alison Lamp, Peer Supporter for Project FORT. The presentation will provide background on the Major Crimes Unit’s FORT team, an outreach program created in 2018 designed to connect those with substance disorders with treatment and recovery options. Notably, the Major Crimes Unit recently became one of the first law enforcement agencies in the country to hire a full-time civilian Peer Recovery Coach.
“I am very proud of the work we have accomplished and continue to do at FORT. Our team is grateful to PAARI for providing us with a platform to share our impactful experiences with attendees,” said Lowe.
In May, PAARI’s Partner Spotlight Series will highlight the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office Drug Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.). D.A.R.T., founded in July 2014 under retired Sheriff John Tharp, meets overdose victims and their families in the field to build relationships and connect to care. Karl Schwemley, Deputy D.A.R.T. Officer, and Steve Rogers, D.A.R.T. Lieutenant, will provide insight into the program.
In 2017, Deputy Schwemley began with the unit as a D.A.R.T. Officer, and he now works with approximately 85 clients in his community who are battling substance use disorder and assists them on their road to recovery. In January 2018, Lt. Rogers was assigned to D.A.R.T. where he has since witnessed numerous Lucas County community members engage in getting the help they need. To date, D.A.R.T. has engaged over 6,500 individuals in Northwest Ohio with substance use disorder.
“I’ve been involved with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office for a while now, and am proud of the work my team has accomplished. I am excited to share our insights with PAARI partners and engage with like-minded individuals who have a passion for creating change for members of their community with substance use disorders,” said Dept. Schwemley.
In June, PAARI will highlight Tucson, Arizona Police Department employees Lieutenant Matt Brady and Captain Stacie Schaner. The presentation will focus on Tucson PD’s Community Outreach, Resource, and Education (CORE) program which bases its responses on data-driven, evidence-based decisions and works closely with community partners to leverage alternative responses such as a pre-arrest deflection program.
“Our team at Tucson PD is grateful to have been invited to present this upcoming June. PAARI’s Partner Spotlight Series is a great opportunity for prospective police department partners to learn about different ways of integrating deflection programs into their community policing strategies,” said Lt. Brady.
To sign up for any of the Partner Spotlight Series presentations, click the link HERE.
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ABOUT PAARI: The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery. Founded alongside the groundbreaking Gloucester, Mass., Police Department Angel Initiative in June 2015, PAARI has been a driving force behind this rapidly expanding community policing movement. We provide technical assistance, strategic guidance, connection to training resources, and other capacity-building resources to more than 700 police departments in 45 states.
PAARI works with more than 130 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone. PAARI and our law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country, thereby reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities. Our programs and partners have saved tens of thousands of lives, changed police culture, and reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic since its founding in June 2015. Learn more at paariusa.org.
ABOUT FORT: Project F.O.R.T. is primarily funded through a two-year QRT grant obtained through the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, supplemental funding from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and the Fairfield County Commissioners with additional funding from Bureau of Justice Assistance and Ohio HIDTA. It is the hope of all those involved that through this progressive approach we will not only change the course of lives of people suffering from the substance use disorder, but reduce the number of unintentional overdoses, provide support for their families, lessen the burden on the criminal justice system, change the stigmas associated with addiction, and ultimately SAVE LIVES. Learn more at fcprojectfort.com/.
ABOUT LUCAS COUNTY D.A.R.T.: D.A.R.T. operates to stop the profound number of deaths of our friends and loved ones caused by opioid and other drug overdoses while helping victims to overcome their addictions. We also aim to educate and support the family and friends of these victims. Learn more at lucascountydart.org/.
ABOUT TUCSON POLICE DEPARTMENT CORE: The Tucson Police Department Community Outreach, Resource, and Education (CORE) unit is comprised of a field supervisor, sworn officers, community service officers (CSOs), and co-responders. The objective of the CORE unit is to address quality of life issues within our community with a holistic approach using evidence-based strategies to assist with individuals who are dealing with substance use disorder (SUD). CORE works proactively in addressing community concerns in areas across our city utilizing a philosophy of providing opportunities for treatment in lieu of arrest for certain low-level and narcotics based offenses. CORE has the ability to take enforcement action if necessary and appropriate. CORE conducts overdose follow-up by reaching out to those who have experienced an overdose with a goal of making contact with the individual within three days of the incident. CORE CSOs are active in our parks in providing outreach efforts and presence to deter certain activities. CORE CSOs also engage businesses and community members to listen to their concerns about behaviors that impact their day-to-day lives. The CORE unit is also involved in the schools and other community forums presenting on the dangers of narcotics use, NARCAN distribution, and SUD treatment options and resources. Learn more at www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Police
