Chelsea Police Department 2013 Annual Report

Drug Awareness, Prevention, and Education CPD participated in National Drug Facts Week which is a health observance week to help teens shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse and to get factual answers through community-based events and activities. The Drug Enforcement Agency is one of the federal partners supporting this effort led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). CPD participated in (2) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day’s led by the DEA. United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) announced that the Sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held on April 27, 2013, 742,497 pounds (371 tons) of prescription medications were collected from members of the public at more than 5,829 locations manned by 4,312 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that partnered with DEA on the event. The Chelsea Police Department has participated in all (7) seven take-back events, since the DEA started the national campaign in 2010. the public about the potential for abuse of such medications. Unused or expired medication can be disposed of at newly-installed kiosks in our police station lobby, 19 Park St Chelsea, Mass. The MedReturn Drug Collection kiosks are free, safe, confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No questions will be asked of people who utilize the kiosks. The kiosk was installed after the Chelsea Police Department recognized the need for the safe disposal of unwanted or expired medications, which often are improperly disposed into city sewerage systems thus contaminating our precious eco-system. Chelsea Police Narcotics/Vice Unit attended a community discussion about drug abuse. The event was organized by a community substance abuse coalition led by City Manager Jay Ash. Participants heard first hand about how substance abuse affects the community. CPD participated in the expansion of crisis intervention services through partnership with the Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST). BEST enables the police department to link services such as inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, outpatient programs, substance abuse services, and assistance with family stabilization. Chelsea Police Department 2013 Annual Report 35

Chelsea Police Department 2013 Annual Report | Page 35