For Immediate Release

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Media Contact: Captain Richard Flynn, PIO
Office: 781-316-3907
Cell: 781-844-1224
Email: [email protected]

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan Speaks at Opioid Forum in Washington, D.C.

ARLINGTON — The Arlington Police Department is pleased to announce that Chief Frederick Ryan spoke before 70 members of Congress and their staff during an opioid forum in Washington, D.C. last week.

Boston University and the Congressional Prescription Drug Abuse Caucus co-hosted the event, which was held on Thursday, July 20 at the Rayburn House Office Building.

Chief Ryan traveled to Washington, D.C. with Dr. Jean Morrison, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Boston University, Boston University Professor David Rosenbloom and Kimberly Johnson, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, who also gave presentations at the forum.

Speakers focused on progressive responses to the opioid crisis, highlighting the need for Medicaid and that any cuts to treatment and prevention as it relates to substance abuse disorders could be devastating to communities fighting to save lives.

Chief Ryan spoke specifically about the Arlington Outreach Initiative and how the police assisted recovery program has evolved since it began in 2015. He shared the program’s successes and discussed areas where more work needs to be done.

In addition to his presentation, Chief Ryan also met with several members of Congress, including Congressman Joe Kennedy III, Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Hal Rogers to speak about the importance of maintaining vital treatment options to continue the fight to end the opioid epidemic.

“I was honored to share Arlington’s experiences with a police assisted recovery initiative, and I hope that other communities will learn from us and feel encouraged to start their own programs,” Chief Ryan said. “I would like to thank Boston University for inviting me to be a part of this event and look forward to working with Congressional Districts across the U.S. that have already expressed interest in creating similar programs.”

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