Policing expenses mount quickly: $25,000 for a law enforcement conference about fentanyl in Colorado; $18,000 for technology to unlock cellphones in Southington, Connecticut; $2,900 for surveillance cameras and to train officers and canines in New Lexington, Ohio.
And in other communities around the country, hundreds of thousands for vehicles, body scanners, and other equipment.
Terms vary slightly across settlements, but, in most cases, state and local governments must spend at least 85% of the cash on "opioid remediation." "We need to have a balance when it comes to spending opioid settlement funds," said Patrick Patterson, vice chair of Michigan's Opioid Advisory Commission, who is in recovery from opioid addiction. If a county funds a recovery coach inside the jail, but no recovery services in the community, then "where is that recovery coach going to take people upon release?" he asked.
Jail administrator and police Capt. Logan Bishop said they bought it because in 2016 a 26-year-old man died inside the jail after drug-filled balloons he'd hidden inside his body ruptured. And last year, staffers saved a man who was overdosing on opioids he'd smuggled in. In both cases, officers hadn't found the drugs, but the scanner might have identified them, Bishop said.St. Clair County also approved the purchase of a scanner with settlement dollars.
A study published this year linked seizures of opioids to a doubling of overdose deaths in the areas surrounding those seizures, as people turned to new dealers and unfamiliar drug supplies. Stabler said these investments support the county agencies that most directly deal with addiction-related issues: "I think we're using it the right way. I really do.""People need to look beyond, 'Oh, it's just a vest or it's just a squad car,' because those tools could impact and reduce drugs in their communities," said Bain, who has more than 25 years of drug investigation experience.
Stevens treats about 20 patients with substance use disorder daily and has appointments booked out two months. She skips lunch and takes patient calls after hours to meet the demand.
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