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P.A.A.R.I. Leaders Travel to Washington D.C. for White House Event on the Nationwide Opioid Crisis

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P.A.A.R.I.
John Rosenthal, Co-founder & Chairman
186 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017

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

P.A.A.R.I. Leaders Travel to Washington D.C. for White House Event on the Nationwide Opioid Crisis

GLOUCESTER — John Rosenthal, Co-founder and Chairman of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is pleased to announce that P.A.A.R.I. leaders will attend a White House event Thursday afternoon on the nationwide opioid crisis. Chief Frederick Ryan (Arlington, Massachusetts Police Department), Chief Matthew Vanyo (Olmsted Township, Ohio Police Department) and Allie Hunter McDade, P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director will join the President and First Lady, cabinet members, members of congress, heads of government agencies, and leaders from around the county to represent for what may be a historic moment in the administration’s response to the nationwide opioid epidemic.

“The opioid epidemic is the most urgent public health and public safety issue we face today, as a country and as law enforcement, killing more than 175 Americans every single day,” Hunter McDade said. “Together, we have put 10,000 4mg doses of life-saving nasal naloxone into the hands of first responders and helped over 12,000 people into treatment. These programs make our communities safer, prevent overdose deaths, build community trust of their police, and save law enforcement and taxpayer funds.”

In August P.A.A.R.I.’s law enforcement members urged the federal government to declare a Public Health Emergency. Declaring a public health emergency is not only a symbolic recognition of the severity and urgency of this crisis, but also will mobilize the highest levels of the government to take immediate and effective action to deploy the resources required to save lives.

“We are hopeful that a declaration of a public health emergency also includes plans for the federal government to stock and deploy massive quantities of 4mg nasal naloxone and make effective treatments for opioid addiction, such as medication-assisted treatment, more available and affordable,” Hunter McDade said.

Recognizing that traditional criminal justice approaches to addiction have not been effective and that the nation cannot arrest its way out of the opioid epidemic, P.A.A.R.I. is leading a nationwide movement led by law enforcement that recognizes addiction is a chronic disease that needs long-term treatment, not arrest and jail. So far, 321 police departments from across the county have joined P.A.A.R.I. and created pre-arrest programs that create immediate and stigma-free entry points to treatment and recovery programs.

Chief Ryan, Chief Vanyo, and Hunter McDade are steadfast in their dedication to supporting people with substance use disorders and amplifying the unified voice of law enforcement in a nonpartisan effort to save lives in light of the mounting opioid epidemic.

P.A.A.R.I.’s law enforcement partners are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, doing everything they can to grapple with this mounting crisis.  The organization is honored that P.A.A.R.I. representatives were invited to have a seat at the table to share our experiences and educate the administration and lawmakers about the success of P.A.A.R.I.’s approach to saving lives.

“We look forward to attending this afternoon’s event and learning more about how the President will honor his pledge to fight this epidemic and give people struggling with addiction access to the help they need,” Hunter McDade said

About P.A.A.R.I.:

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to help law enforcement agencies establish pre-arrest programs that create immediate and stigma-free entry points to treatment and recovery programs. P.A.A.R.I. works across sectors to provide training, coaching, and support; program models, policies and procedures, and templates; seed grants; connections to over 300 vetted treatment centers; a network of like-minded law enforcement agencies; a unified voice with media and legislators; and capacity building through AmeriCorps. P.A.A.R.I. is free to join and open to any law enforcement agency that believes in treatment over arrest and views addiction as a disease not a crime. Since June 2015, P.A.A.R.I. has launched more than 320 law enforcement programs in 31 states, distributed 10,000 4mg doses of life-saving nasal naloxone, and helped over 12,000 people into treatment.

 

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Bucyrus, Ohio Police Department Partners with P.A.A.R.I. to Begin Addiction Recovery Initiative

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For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: john@jgpr.net

Bucyrus, Ohio Police Department Partners with P.A.A.R.I. to Begin Addiction Recovery Initiative

BUCYRUS, Ohio — Chief David Keopke is pleased to announce that the Bucyrus Police Department has joined the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative to begin its addiction recovery program, Operation HOPE (Heroin-Opiate Prevention Effort).

The program was launched on Sept. 14 and is modeled after the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative.

Members of the Bucyrus Police Department have seen firsthand the devastating effects addiction can have on a city or town. Between 2011 and 2014, heroin-related deaths in Ohio increased 714 percent, while Fentanyl-related deaths were up 378 percent.

Through Operation HOPE, police seek to reduce the impact of heroin and opiate abuse on the community and encourage those who suffer from the disease of addiction to seek help and obtain a life in recovery.

“We recognize that addiction is a disease, and that to assist our residents in recovering from this disease, we must be proactive in pairing those who ask for help with treatment options,” Chief Keopke said. “Collaborating with local and national partners, volunteers and residents, we will tackle the demand side of this epidemic and promote a healthier, safer community.”

Working with Crawford: 20/20 Vision’s Public Safety and Drug Abuse Action Team, Together We Hurt, Together We Heal, Maryhaven and Volunteer ‘First Step Coaches’, the Bucyrus Police Department implemented a three-prong approach to tackle the opiate epidemic: Enforcement, Education and Treatment. Officers will:

  • Vigorously target and arrest those trafficking and dealing dangerous drugs.
  • Treat those suffering from addiction with compassion, care and concern – while fairly enforcing the law.
  • Allow residents to voluntarily turn in drugs, needles and paraphernalia without fear of arrest.

John Rosenthal, Chairman of P.A.A.R.I., would like to commend the Bucyrus Police Department for implementing an addiction recovery initiative in the community to help all those struggling with this disease. Bucyrus Police will join several other Ohio police departments working to end the stigma of addiction.

About P.A.A.R.I. 

The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) was launched to support police departments around the nation as they work to help those suffering from the disease of addiction. The United States faces a nationwide heroin and opioid epidemic, with more people now dying from overdoses than from car accidents in this country. 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 those struggling with the disease of addiction to 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 to bridge the gap between police departments and those struggling with the disease of addiction.

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*Media Advisory* P.A.A.R.I. and Ohio Police Departments to Hold Rally Against Heroin

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P.A.A.R.I.
John Rosenthal, Co-founder & Chairman
One Bridge St., Suite #300
Newton, MA 02458

For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 3, 2016

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

BEREA, Ohio — Berea Police Chief Joe Grecol and Olmsted Township Police Chief Matthew Vanyo are pleased to announce that they have partnered with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) to begin their addiction recovery program, Safe Passages, which will launch at the Cuyahoga County Rally Against Heroin next weekend.

WHEN

Saturday, Oct. 8 from 2-6 p.m.

WHERE

Coe Lake Park, 11 Berea Commons (located behind the Berea Police Station)

WHO

  • Berea Police Department
  • Olmsted Police Department
  • P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade
  • Major hospital systems
  • Area treatment centers

WHAT

The Cuyahoga County Rally Against Heroin will serve as the launch of Safe Passages, a program designed to allow law enforcement agencies to facilitate entry into treatment for people suffering from the disease of heroin/opiod addiction.

According to a recent article announcing the launch of Safe Passages, since the beginning of the year, Cuyahoga County lost 250 residents due to drug overdose deaths and is on track to lose 500 or more to overdoses by the end of 2016.

Major hospital systems, treatment centers from the Northeast Ohio area and support groups will be in attendance to join police and advocates to provide information about their services.

The rally will be used as a fundraiser for Airfare4Addicts, a GoFundMe page used to assist indigent program participants with travel expenses. T-shirts and wristbands will be available for purchase, as well as a raffle of merchandise provided by the Cleveland Browns.  There will be a stunt motorcycle performance by Ride4Life, live music provided by my Manic Episode, Boca Loca Burrito food truck and a series of guest speakers, including PAARI Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade and Rebecca Wolfe, Clinical Co-Responder for the Arlington, Mass. police department.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Sgt. Patrick Greenhill of the Berea Police Department at 440-274-5009 or pgreenhill@bereapolice.org.

About P.A.A.R.I. 

The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) was launched to support police departments around the nation as they work to help those suffering from the disease of addiction. The United States faces a nationwide heroin and opioid epidemic, with more people now dying from overdoses than from car accidents in this country. 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 those struggling with the disease of addiction to 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 police departments and those struggling with the disease of addiction.

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Ashland, Ore. Police Department Joins P.A.A.R.I. To Launch Addiction Recovery Initiative

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For Immediate Release

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: john@jgpr.net

Ashland, Ore. Police Department Joins P.A.A.R.I. To Launch Addiction Recovery Initiative

ASHLAND, Ore. – Police Chief Tighe O’Meara announces that the Ashland Police Department has partnered with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) to expand the department’s addiction recovery initiative, the Gateway program.

Through the department’s program, which launched on March 1, Ashland Police will implement new addiction recovery initiatives and work with P.A.A.R.I. to place participants into treatment. The department already carries nasal Naloxone (Narcan) in all police vehicles.

Modeled after both the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative and the Arlington Outreach Initiative, the Gateway initiative gives anyone who enters the police station or is contacted by a police officer and requests help with their addiction the opportunity to be screened into the program. Participants who turn over their drugs and paraphernalia and ask for help will not be charged. Instead, they will immediately be placed into a drug treatment program, regardless of financial means or insurance coverage.

As part of the Gateway initiative, the Ashland Police Department has also formally partnered with OnTrack, Inc. to provide residential and outpatient drug and alcohol treatment options for participants. OnTrack will assist Ashland Police with quickly responding to treatment requests by pre-screening participants for the appropriate level of care.

“Our department has made several steps in the right direction toward combating this opioid crisis in our own community, but partnering with P.A.A.R.I. and OnTrack will provide us with many additional resources that we need to continue saving lives from this disease,” Chief O’Meara said. “We are thankful for the law enforcement agencies who also recognize that this problem requires the attention of multiple community partners and we hope to spread P.A.A.R.I.’s mission through our partnership.”

Chief Campanello and John Rosenthal, co-founders of P.A.A.R.I., are pleased to welcome Ashland Police to the program and will work with the department to further their initiatives. They commend Chief O’Meara and his staff for taking the necessary steps to help those who need it most and for working to change the way law enforcement handles addiction.

About P.A.A.R.I.:

The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) was launched to support police departments around the nation as they work to help those suffering from the disease of addiction. The United States faces a nationwide heroin and opioid epidemic, with more people now dying from overdoses than from car accidents in this country. 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 those struggling with the disease of addiction to 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 police departments and those struggling with the disease of addiction.

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