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By: Joe DiFazio

October 11, 2018

Plymouth County Outreach, a South Shore coalition of law enforcement and health care providers fighting opioid abuse, has won a national community policing award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

The outreach program sends a team of plainclothes police officers and a recovery coach or clinician to the homes of overdose survivors to give them and their families information about resources available to them on the South Shore. The group also sets up weekly “drop-in centers” where people struggling with opioid abuse can learn about recovery options.

The award was presented to the outreach group in a ceremony in Orlando, Florida, Tuesday. The effort grew out of a collaboration between Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz and Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald.

“I am extremely proud of this recognition and this forward thinking of our police chiefs who made Plymouth County Outreach a nationally recognized initiative,” McDonald said in a statement. “We have work ahead of us but the strides being made to increase awareness on support services for people struggling with substance use disorder is critical and saving lives.”

Plymouth County Outreach is led by Plymouth Police Chief Michael Boteiri and East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen.