Chief Lentz Appointed to National Drug Addiction Council
The Covington Police Department is pleased to announce that Chief Tim Lentz has been appointed a charter member of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative’s (P.A.A.R.I.) Police Council. The P.A.A.R.I. Council is a nationwide group of law enforcement leaders formed to give advice and provide guidance to its parent organization, the P.A.A.R.I.
P.A.A.R.I. Announces Formation of Police Council to Guide Organization’s Growth and Mission Will be Chaired by Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan
GLOUCESTER — John Rosenthal, chairman of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative is pleased to announce the formation of the P.A.A.R.I. Police Council, a group of working police chiefs and law enforcement leaders from around the country who will advise and guide the organization as it continues to grow and develop.
The Police Council will communicate regularly with P.A.A.R.I. law enforcement partners and other police agencies to provide up-to-date policies, guidelines and trends to support police departments, sheriff’s offices, and district attorneys who seek to provide access to treatment for people suffering from the disease of addiction. As P.A.A.R.I. continues to expand, the organization has received numerous requests from Alaska to Florida and Maine to Arizona, for representatives to come speak to police groups, non-profits, and community organizations. Adding several active law enforcement officers from across the Country to P.A.A.R.I.’s Police Council will help ensure that the organization can efficiently and timely meet these requests.
“At its very core, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative supports the collective voice of law enforcement as it responds to one of the worst public health crises we have experienced as a nation,” Rosenthal said. “Our Police Council allows P.A.A.R.I. to expand its reach across the country while ensuring we have the guidance and expertise of law enforcement leaders to expand access to treatment for people struggling with opioid addiction.”
The PAARI Police Council will be chaired by Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan, whose police department pioneered the Arlington Outreach Initiative, one of two main addiction and recovery models being emulated nationwide by P.A.A.R.I. law enforcement partner agencies.
“The P.A.A.R.I. Police Council will act as a force multiplier, increasing the organization’s logistical reach to all corners of the country. This is a vital portion of P.A.A.R.I.’s development as we have grown from a handful of police departments to 160 agencies in 27 states,” Chief Ryan said. “There are literally thousands of other law enforcement agencies across the country who are doing tremendous work, and the P.A.A.R.I. Police Council can be a resource to each of them as we continue to respond to the nationwide opioid epidemic that is unnecessarily claiming so many lives every day.”
Members of the P.A.A.R.I. Police Council:
Sergeant Michael Braley: Everett, Wash. Police Department
Chief Danny Langloss: Dixon Ill. Police Department
Sergeant Brittney Garrett: Jeffersontown Ky. Police Department
Chief Tim Lentz: Covington La. Police Department
Chief Joseph Solomon: Methuen, Mass. Police Department
Officer John Gill: Scarborough, Maine Police Department
“As one of the first law enforcement agencies in the South to join with P.A.A.R.I., Jeffersontown has already been an active liaison for the Initiative to other agencies in our region. The P.A.A.R.I. Police Council is a great step forward as we formalize and improve communication and efforts among a diverse group of law enforcement agencies,” said Sgt. Garrett.
“The opioid epidemic is felt in every corner of the nation, in communities large and small, and police have answered the call,” said Chief Solomon. “In Methuen, we have hired civilian clinicians to work with those suffering and their families. Every police department may have a different approach, and it is vital that we work together and communicate with each other in a show of force against addiction.”
Covington Weekly caught up with CPD Chief Lentz, who had this to say about the appointment: “I am humbled to be selected on such a prestigious national committee. It is proof that a small police department can have an impact on the opioid epidemic spreading across this country. I will continue to bring awareness to this issue in our community and work tirelessly to create a community without stigma.” Thank you, Chief Tim Lentz, for your commitment to the community.
Mission of the P.A.A.R.I. Police Council: To offer periodic feedback on process, procedure and policy from a police perspective; to share best practice with participating – or prospective – police departments and PAARI.
About the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.):
P.A.A.R.I. police departments share a common mission: encourage opioid drug users to seek recovery, help distribute lifesaving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses, connect those struggling with the disease of addiction with treatment programs and facilities and provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid epidemic.
In just over a year, P.A.A.R.I. has grown into a network of more than 150 police departments across the country and over 200 treatment centers to secure fully-funded scholarships for participants with or without insurance. PAARI is an independent non-profit organization that supports law enforcement agencies in setting up, communicating and running their own addiction and recovery programs. The police departments, sheriffs’ offices, and prosecutors who have partnered with P.A.A.R.I. interact directly with members of the public and those seeking treatment, recovery, and resources. Learn more at paariusa.org.
