Massachusetts Town Reflects On Year Of Treating, Not Arresting, Opioid Addicts

05:40

June 03, 2016

Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello is pictured in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on July 10, 2015. Gloucester is taking a novel approach to the war on drugs, making the police station a first stop for addicts on the road to recovery. Addicts can turn in their drugs to police, no questions asked, and officers, volunteers and trained clinicians help connect them with detox and treatment services. (Elise Amendola/AP)

It's been a year since Gloucester, Massachusetts Police Chief Leonard Campanello announced that his officers would help people get into addiction treatment, rather than arrest them.

More than 400 people have gone to the police station for help, more than 100 police departments around the country have started similar programs and Campanello was recognized at the White House.

Deborah Becker from Here & Now contributor WBUR has this look back at the first year of the so-called "Angel program."

Hear our conversation with Leonard Campanello from September 2015
Read more on this story via WBUR

Reporter

Deborah Becker, senior correspondent and host at WBUR. She tweets @wburdebbecker.

This segment aired on June 3, 2016.

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