The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative was one of JGPR’s earliest successes, highlighting the importance of aggressive and consistent messaging.
Founded in 2015, P.A.A.R.I. represents a dramatic tide shift in the way drug use and addiction are addressed nationwide. Since its founding, P.A.A.R.I. has partnered with hundreds of police agencies throughout the United States ranging from small rural communities to major cities. These agencies have adopted P.A.A.R.I.’s model of non-arrest, treatment-focused approaches to addressing the opioid epidemic.
With JGPR, P.A.A.R.I. has established its web presence and become a leading voice for change in the way addiction is treated, and the role that law enforcement plays in the process. The organization has earned endorsement from large city police departments and bipartisan support at the federal level from both the Obama and Trump administrations.
JGPR played a key role in helping P.A.A.R.I. both weather and emerge stronger following a leadership crisis, ensuring that its work would continue making an impact on the lives of those directly impacted by addiction.
Initially founded to support the work of a sole police department’s innovative approach to addiction, P.A.A.R.I. is now a leader on the issue and has welcomed political, law enforcement and public health leaders to Boston for its groundbreaking Law Enforcement Summits in 2017 and 2018.