Pubdate: Thu, 24 Apr 2014
Source: Union-News (MA)
Copyright: 2014 Union-News
Contact:  http://www.masslive.com/unionnews/index.ssf
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/860
Author: Conor Berry, The Republican
Note: Material from The Republican / MassLive, CBS3 Springfield, the
Boston Globe, the Greenfield Recorder and the officer of Gov. Deval
Patrick was used in this report.

GREENFIELD POLICE CHIEF ROBERT HAIGH SAYS FRANKLIN COUNTY CITY MAKING
STRIDES IN COMBATING HEROIN PROBLEM

Greenfield - New city police Chief Robert Haigh says Greenfield is
well aware of the commonwealth's growing opiate addiction problem, a
major topic of discussion in recent months.

Gov. Deval Patrick last month declared a public health emergency due
to a rise in heroin overdoses and opiate abuse across the
commonwealth.

For Haigh, who was sworn in as chief in November, the crisis is
hitting home. "The increase in overdoses is drastic," he said at a
Wednesday night public safety meeting at Greenfield police
headquarters, according to CBS3 Springfield, media partner of MassLive
/ The Republican.

"I don't think any of us believe we can arrest our way out of a
problem, certainly this problem. We are not going to arrest our way
out of heroin and opiate overdoses," Haigh said at the session.

Since becoming chief, Haigh says he hasn't gone a week without
receiving a report of an opiate overdose, citing at least 23 overdoses
in his jurisdiction alone, CBS3 reports. There have been 20 reported
overdose deaths in Hampshire and Franklin counties this year alone,
according to the TV station.

Haigh says people are buying cheap heroin in greater Springfield and
selling it for nearly double the price in Greenfield.

The chief says Greenfield is trying to stay ahead of the problem,
citing the Franklin County Opioid Education and Awareness Task Force
as a step in the right direction. Haigh recently discussed the issue
with Anthony Bourdain, the chef and TV star who was filming at various
Western Massachusetts locations this month.

Haigh says social media has been instrumental in getting the word out
about the extent of the problem, CBS 3 reports. "People are calling us
now; they know it's out there. We're letting them know that we are
here. So by us being here and saying, 'Yeah, give us a call,' maybe we
are getting a few more calls, and that's a good thing as well," he
said.

The Opioid Education and Awareness Task Force  the brainchild of
Franklin Register of Probate and Family Court John Merrigan, Franklin
County Sheriff Christopher Donelan and Northwestern District Attorney
David Sullivan held a February conference at Greenfield Community
College that attracted several hundred people.

The goal of the task force, which was formed last year, is to take a
united approach to combating heroin and opioid abuse across Franklin
and Hampshire counties and the North Quabbin Region.

To tackle the problem, Patrick declared a public health emergency on
March 27, ordering the Department of Public Health to make Narcan
available immediately to all first responders, as well as more
accessible to families and friends of drug addicts. Narcan, though
controversial, is a potentially life-saving drug that can quickly
reverse the effects of a heroin overdose, though only
temporarily.

Patrick said today's heroin "is cheap and highly potent," and heroin
addiction is often an outgrowth of addiction to oxycodone and other
narcotic painkillers  a growing Massachusetts problem for a decade or
more.

At least 140 people have died from suspected heroin overdoses in the
past several months, prompting Patrick to call it a "previously
unseen" death rate in state history.

"What we have is an opiate epidemic. So, we will treat it like the
public health crisis it is," the governor said.

Material from The Republican / MassLive, CBS3 Springfield, the Boston
Globe, the Greenfield Recorder and the officer of Gov. Deval Patrick
was used in this report.

[image caption]

Since becoming Greenfield's top cop in November, Chief Robert Haigh
has taken a proactive approach to tackling crime, drug abuse and other
issues in his Franklin County city. On Wednesday night, he held a
public safety forum at the police station to interface with citizens,
many of whom now log on regularly to the Greenfield Police
Department's Facebook page as a clearinghouse for crime and other
information. (Greenfield Police Department / Facebook)
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