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JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. (AP) — A police department says it plans to begin helping drug addicts connect with treatment programs.
The Courier-Journal (http://cjky.it/240mO6f) reports the Jeffersontown Police Department said on Monday that it would begin an initiative on Aug. 1 that allows addicts to come to police headquarters, hand over any illegal drugs and then get treatment without fear of arrest. The department says the new approach is an attempt to fight the heroin epidemic.
The program was inspired by a similar effort in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where police have started connecting drug addicts seeking help with treatment instead of arresting them. A nonprofit organization called the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative helps spread the strategy to other agencies.
The nonprofit says the Jeffersontown Police Department is the 100th law enforcement agency to join.
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Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com
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