Police-Led Addiction Recovery Program Launches In Strongsville

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Safe Passages, a program that helps get heroin and opiate addicts into treatment, has officially been launched by the Strongsville Police Department. Strongsville had to administer 73 doses of Narcan — an overdose antidote — in 2017 alone.

The city received a $83,542 grant from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office to help launch Safe Passages. Portions of the funding will also go to a quick response team that will aid in-crisis addicts. The police and fire departments, along with the Strongsville faith community, will send a team of specialists to meet with overdose survivors and their families. The specialists will go over treatment options, referrals, recovery support and other options for people battling addiction.

"Our objective is to eradicate the (opiate) problem locally – to get people clean, and to keep our community safe and thriving," Mayor Tom Perciak said in September when the grant funding was announced.

Safe Passages allows residents that want help for drug addiction to simply walk into the Strongsville Police Station and ask for help. The department will arrange for that person to be taken to a treatment facility. Neighboring Berea, Olmsted Township, Bedford and Newburgh Heights all have similar programs.

"If you need help or know someone who needs help into recovery from addiction, you just need to come to the police station during normal business hours and ask for it. We are here to help you with your steps towards recovery," Strongsville Police said on Facebook.

The department has partnered with local treatment facilities for the program. Police will facilitate the entry of a program participant into the facility and will serve as part of the resident's support system.

The city unrolled a multi-pronged approach to the widening opioid crisis in late Aug. 2017. Strongsville police ceded the patrolling of I-71 to the Ohio State Highway Patrol so officers could focus on policing neighborhoods.

The city also hosted three community conferences on opioids, installed a permanent prescription drug drop-off box and police are now prioritizing heroin trafficking cases.

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