For Immediate Release

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Rolling Meadows Police Partner with P.A.A.R.I. to Create Gloucester-Style Addiction Initiative

“Second Chance,” Modeled After Gloucester ANGEL Initiative, Began Oct. 7

ILLINOIS — Police Chief David J. Scanlan, as well as Gloucester, Mass. Police Chief Leonard Campanello, and John Rosenthal, co-founders of The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) are pleased to announce a partnership between P.A.A.R.I. and the Rolling Meadows Police Department to support the community’s “Second Chance” program.

Rolling Meadows Police Department kicked off the Second Chance initiative on Oct. 7. Commander Tom Gadomski recently traveled to Gloucester to meet with Chief Campanello, where he received a firsthand look at the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative.

Given the strides made through the Gloucester program, Chief Scanlan decided to create a similar initiative for his department in Illinois.

“The Rolling Meadows Police Department is proud to be the newest member of P.A.A.R.I. and its membership of police departments and resources that are committed to helping those who are fighting addiction,” Chief Scanlan said. “We hope to have similar success to what Chief Campanello has accomplished in Gloucester.”

Like the ANGEL Initiative, the Rolling Meadows Police Department is encouraging residents who want to overcome their addiction to simply walk into the police station and ask for help.

“The creation of the Second Chance program illustrates clear and innovative thinking by the Rolling Meadows Police Department,” Chief Campanello said. “Through Chief Scanlan’s leadership, the department is positively altering the way law enforcement, the state and the community view treating the disease of addiction. They will have the full support of the Gloucester Police Department and P.A.A.R.I.”

Additionally, the Rolling Meadows Police Department has teamed up with Therapeutic Interventions to offer free assistance for any Rolling Meadows resident who wants help overcoming their addiction.

Those who come into the police station looking for help are encouraged to bring in their drugs and paraphernalia. They will not be charged. Instead they will immediately be placed into a drug treatment program through Therapeutic Interventions, free of cost.

“Through generous partnership with treatment centers we have seen that people are asking for help and recovering from their addiction,” John Rosenthal said. “Those in the Rolling Meadows community who are struggling with addiction can now use this viable resource to get help.”

About P.A.A.R.I.

P.A.A.R.I. was started to support local police departments as they work with opioid addicts. 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 people suffering with opioid addiction with treatment programs and facilities
• Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic

P.A.A.R.I. was created by Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal to bridge the gap between the police department and opioid addicts seeking recovery.

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