July 25, 2024 JEFFERSONTOWN, KY – The Jeffersontown Police Department is excited to announce the rollout of 25 permanent overdose emergency kit boxes. This initiative, led by the department’s REACH Unit, aims to reduce the number of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses in the city. The approach includes expanding access to Narcan training, placing Narcan in high-risk locations by identifying hotspots, engaging in preventive outreach activities, increasing the distribution of REACH kits to individuals and citizens at acute risk in real-time, and making Narcan available to services, businesses, and systems that interact with at-risk populations.
In 2020, more than 1,964 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses, a 49% increase from 2019. Jefferson County had the most overdose deaths, with 512 reported, up from 319 in 2019. The city of Jeffersontown, located within Jefferson County and the Louisville Metro area, has been significantly impacted by the opioid epidemic, with current accidental overdose rates at 137 per 100,000 residents.
“We are dedicated to maintaining a strong approach to fighting crime in our community, but we also know that we need to take proactive measures to tackle the opioid epidemic. The new permanent Narcan boxes are a crucial tool in reversing fatal overdoses and providing a lifeline to those in need.” says Chief Richard Sanders, Jeffersontown PD.
To support populations at high risk of overdoses, the Jeffersontown Police Department is utilizing data driven information to target areas and diverse populations at elevated risk to encourage Naloxone box installation and training. Each box will be registered on the Find Naloxone Now website.
Funding for the kit contents and cabinets was provided by Kentucky Opioid Abatement Settlement Funds. The Naloxone doses in the kits were provided through the Kentucky Opioid Response Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program.
“It’s critical for our community members to have access to Narcan and to know how to use it. Our efforts to distribute these emergency kit boxes and provide training on Narcan are crucial steps in combating the opioid crisis,” says Amanda Chapman, Community Resource Supervisor at Jeffersontown PD. “We are grateful for the funding sources that made this project possible, enabling us to equip our community with the tools and knowledge to save lives and support those struggling with substance use disorders.”
“Jeffersontown is a PAARI partner doing amazing work fighting the opioid epidemic,” says Brittney Garrett, PAARI Senior Director of Public Safety Engagement & Strategy and previous Major at Jeffersontown PD. “Their proactive measures, such as the installation of Narcan boxes and community outreach efforts, demonstrate a deep commitment to saving lives. We are proud to support their team.”
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ABOUT JEFFERSONTOWN PD: Jeffersontown Police Department is committed to working with the community to instill public confidence through a partnership with our citizens. The community policing partnership draws people together to enhance the quality of life and the common good; a safe and peaceful community where individuals, families, and businesses thrive. Learn more at www.jeffersontownky.com/125/Police-Department
ABOUT PAARI: The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create deflection programs (I.e.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 46 states.
PAARI works with more than 160 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone. PAARI and our law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion and deflection 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.
