Borough of Berwick Police Department’s

Addiction Recovery Initiative

  Alcoholism and the local heroin and methamphetamine epidemic is a compounding problem.  The police department is continuing to arrest the same individuals over and over again for narcotics and alcohol related charges and they keep returning to our community without the means to move forward.  The increase in narcotics and alcohol activity has plagued the Berwick community.  The current problem and alarming statistics indicate that there is a dire need to change tactics. 

  This new Addiction Recovery Initiative is intended to bring law enforcement, mental health professionals and substance abuse health care professionals together to ensure that the individual seeking rehabilitation receives that care and treatment they deserve immediately.  The Borough of Berwick Police Department have established a protocol for a “warm handoff” for those that have informed an officer that they are seeking drug or alcohol treatment. 

  Also as part of this initiative, the Borough of Berwick Police Department:

• advocates for participation in the county-wide drug court,
• proactively carries and administers naloxone,
• administers addiction training for officers and community members,
• administers a quarterly prescription medication collection program and maintains a collection bin throughout the year,
• administers confidential mobile addiction assessments available on a quarterly basis throughout the year. 

  If you or someone you care about would like more information, please email recovery@berwick-pa.com or contact 570-784-6300 and inform the dispatcher that you are requesting an officer contact you regarding the Addiction Recovery Initiative.  It’s not too late, we can still help those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol get the rehabilitative treatment that they so desperately need.