The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) provides essential training, strategic guidance, support, and resources to help law enforcement agencies nationwide develop and implement Law Enforcement Deflection and diversion programs. These non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery are designed to intervene before individuals enter the criminal justice system.
Recognizing the critical role law enforcement plays in addressing the opioid epidemic, the Gloucester Police Department launched the Angel Program in June 2015. This innovative initiative created a simple, stigma-free entry point to treatment on demand, reframing addiction as a disease rather than a crime. PAARI was founded alongside the Angel Program as a nonprofit to help other law enforcement agencies replicate this groundbreaking Law Enforcement Deflection and diversion model, reducing overdose deaths and expanding access to treatment and recovery.
Today, PAARI is a national network of over 700 police departments across 46 states, primarily supporting Law Enforcement Deflection and early diversion programs. These programs are customized to meet community needs and utilize various entry points to treatment, including self-referrals to police stations and proactive outreach based on risk or incidents. Cross-sector collaboration is vital, with partnerships often involving clinicians, social workers, recovery coaches, and trained volunteers.
Law enforcement or public safety agencies interested in creating or enhancing non-arrest pathways to treatment can join PAARI free of charge. Members gain access to a wealth of resources, including technical assistance, webinars, convenings, a network of like-minded agencies, capacity building, AmeriCorps recovery coaches, and connections to specialized training. To join or request further information, agencies can simply complete the online form.
Our Mission
- Support Law Enforcement Deflection and Diversion: We help law enforcement and public safety agencies design, launch, and implement non-arrest addiction referral programs. Our support includes strategic guidance, technical assistance, training connections, policy and procedure templates, and participation in national and regional convenings.
- Promote Dialogue: We foster conversations about the unique role law enforcement plays in addressing the opioid and addiction crisis. Our goal is to remove stigma and reframe addiction as a disease, not a crime.
- Advocate for Change: We educate lawmakers and support policies that increase access to lifesaving resources and treatment, building a movement within law enforcement to shift away from an arrest-first approach and guide individuals toward recovery.
Our Story
For decades, municipal police officers have been on the front lines of the war on drugs, often arresting individuals struggling with addiction rather than focusing on those trafficking drugs. This approach did little to address the root cause of the crisis—addiction itself. In 2015, Gloucester, Massachusetts Police Chief Leonard Campanello pioneered a revolutionary approach by focusing on demand reduction rather than supply. Through the Angel Program, individuals seeking help from the police were taken directly to a hospital and placed in a recovery program—no arrest, no jail.
PAARI was established to support the Gloucester Police’s addiction initiatives and to assist other departments in implementing similar Law Enforcement Deflection and diversion programs. By collaborating with the medical community and evidence-based recovery programs, law enforcement can make a significant impact in their communities by saving lives, reducing addiction, and lowering the demand for opioids.
We are also committed to removing the stigma associated with addiction, shifting the narrative from crime to disease. In partnership with treatment centers, we secure scholarships and fully funded in-patient programs for individuals in need. Additionally, we work with police departments, pharmacies, and families to distribute nasal Narcan, a life-saving tool in overdose situations that provides individuals another chance to enter treatment and fight their disease.
