Below is a post from the Cooperstown, NY Chief of Police addressing the rise in opiate use and arrests in our area.  This is a dramatic new approach to this growing problem. The Cooperstown Police Department, while recognizing that this is a controversial approach, encourages everyone to visit the department's Facebook page and share your thoughts on this endeavor.  To do so CLICK HERE!  As of this writing, the post has gone viral and has been shared over 7,000 times!

A message from Cooperstown Police Chief Michael Covert:

The Village, County and State have many programs and resources to deal with the opiate crisis. We are almost ready to make a revolutionary change in the way that we treat this DISEASE. The Cooperstown Police Department has vowed to take the following measures to assist, starting on Thanksgiving, November 26, 2015.

Any addict who walks into the Cooperstown Police Station with the remainder of their drug equipment (needles, syringes, etc.) or drugs and asks for help will NOT be charged. Instead, we will walk them through the system towards detox and recovery. We will assign them an “ANGEL” who will be their guide through the process. Not in hours or days, but on the spot. Bassett Medical Center has committed to helping fast track people that walk into the police station so that they can be assessed quickly and the proper care can be administered quickly.

I want to have Nasal NARCAN available at all local pharmacies without prescription. Pharmacies presently can give out syringes, but not the drug that can save an addict’s life. It is now legal in 12 states to give out nasal NARCAN without a prescription. I would like to get that law passed in New York State as well. I want to have a CD placed inside the kit that can be watched in the privacy of your home. The video will show how to make a 911 call about an overdose, how to start CPR and how to administer Nasal NARCAN. It will tell you what to expect when the Emergency Squad and Police show up. Lastly, it will offer a listing of all agencies which can provide assistance and support towards recovery. We truly need to be able to get the one drug that can reverse the effects of an opiate overdose to families of addicts without the stigma of first obtaining a prescription.

I am asking for your help. “Like” this post and send it to everyone you can think of and ask them to do the same. Speak your comments, Create strength in numbers, We hope to be operational by sometime next week.

Together, we can help save a life.

More From Big Cat - Country with Attitude