Police Roll Out Program To Get Drug Users Into Treatment, Not Handcuffs

Those dealing with drug addiction have a new point of access for treatment. While it may seem surprising, that point of access might be the local police station.

Through a $300,000 grant to the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, the Bucks County Police Assisting in Recovery program, commonly known as BPAIR, will have 12 departments take part in the effort to divert people with addiction problems from the criminal justice system and move them toward recovery options, a process that can often be cumbersome to navigate.

Outside the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown Borough on Wednesday, law enforcement, county government, and members of the recovery community stood together to announce the expansion of the program.

Diane Rosati, executive director of Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, said it was “exciting” to expand the program that uses federal money being directed to the area by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

The local program will take a commitment from police departments. The grant will pay for informational materials, advertising, consulting, training for police and volunteer “navigators” that will help those seeking it, and treatment costs for some with no other way to pay for help, Rosati told LevittownNow.com.

Bensalem police launched the program, but it will expand to cover the following additional departments:

• Falls Township
• Lower Southampton
• Northampton
• Peraskie
• Plumbstead
• Quakertown
• Richland
• Upper Southampton
• Warminster
• Warrington
• Warwick

Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said the idea is to get drug users help and hopefully divert them from legal system.

“If (drug users) willing to do that (get treatment), these police officers, these agencies have pledged to put their safety above incrimination,” Weintraub said.

“It has nothing to do with who you are, your standing in the community, or whether you’re innocent or guilty,” he stated.

Bensalem Director of Public Safety Fred Harran said the expansion of the program is a team effort.

While 12 police departments are involved now, Weintraub said he hopes all 39 county departments are involved over the next year.

Under the program, a person with a drug problem will let a police department know either via phone or in person that they need help. Either the department or volunteer navigator will get in touch with treatment centers and set the person up for intake. The navigator will assist the person seeking help check if insurance can be used and even transport the person for treatment, Rosati said. She added there are funds to help those without private or public insurance.

Even if the person seeking help isn’t a resident of the municipality taking part in the program, they can go to a participating police department and still get in the program.

Rosati said the idea isn’t to turn anyone way.

Harran said Bensalem learned of the program after a township secretary forwarded him a link from Facebook on a New England police department that had launched a similar diversionary program. After meeting with that department, Bensalem moved ahead with the program and has helped 70 to 80 people through the township’s version of the program over the past three years.

County Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, a former Republican state representative from Bensalem, talked of his son who needed help years ago and how hard it was to locate resources.

The commissioner said that even with his knowledge through public service, his family had trouble getting his son into treatment at the time. His son has since been in long-term recovery.

“I want to thank everyone that is associated with this wonderful program,” he said, adding the commissioners are “100 percent” behind it.

Harran and Weintraub both said the program shows off that police can help the community and not just arrest them.

“We are not the experts in all fields … but we’re the ambassadors for all issues,” Harran said.

The Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission acknowledged staff member Mallory Perrotti and consultant Sue Shoemaker for their work on the project.

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