HAMBURG TOWNSHIP POLICE - PRESS RELEASE

September 7, 2010

Police, Schools team to combat drug use

Hamburg Township Police officers and Pinckney Community Schools teachers and staff sent themselves to summer school this year to learn ways to identify and confront substance abuse.

As part of an on-going joint effort, officers and school staff attended special drug intervention and education programs this summer. The classes were designed to help them effectively deal with the growing abuse of prescription drugs and heroin in hopes of halting the recent spate of drug overdose deaths in their area.

"We all take this situation very seriously and are glad to be working together to meet this thing head on," said Police Chief Steve Luciano. "Opiate use is a growing national problem and we can’t afford to sit back and wait for a grant or special program to be developed before we act."

The drug overdose deaths of two Pinckney Community High School graduates in recent months have impacted staff in a personal way and united teachers and administrators in a desire to prevent any further tragedies, said Principal Jim Darga.

"It's encouraging to see the different community groups and agencies, from law enforcement to the court system an to the school district, joining forces to combat this problem," Darga said. "This type of combined effort gives us hope that we can make a difference."

Actions taken thus far:

• Hamburg Township Police and other local law enforcement agencies joined with the Drug Enforcement Administration and LAWNET in fall 2009 in a drug enforcement task force that brought about more than 50 drug arrests.
• Hamburg Police and PCS launched the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip program in June 2010.
• Hamburg Township police officers specifically trained in new enforcement strategies to identify and combat heroin trafficking and abuse.
• Hamburg Township Police and the Livingston County Sheriff's Department have partnered with Pinckney Community Schools to have Officer Megan Paul and Deputy Colleen Antal at PCHS during the school day.
• Hamburg Township Police conducted a special back-to-school in-service program with PCHS teachers to educate them about opiate abuse and signs of drug use in students.
• Hamburg Township Police and Pinckney Community Schools administrators are participating in Livingston County’s Project Opiate to coordinate efforts with prosecutors, judges, probation, parole and substance abuse counselors.

For more information, contact Hamburg Township Police Chief Steve Luciano at 810-231-9391 or Pinckney Community High School Principal Jim Darga at 810-225-5500.