On Sunday, the New York Times ran a long profile of Chief Leonard Campanello of the Gloucester, Massachusetts police department. Campanello has gained national attention for the Angel program that he pioneered, which directs drugs users into detox and treatment programs instead of arresting them. In December, OSI-Baltimore was proud to host Chief Campanello for meetings with Baltimore police commissioner Kevin Davis and health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen (she mentioned the meeting when testifying before Congress the next day), among others, and a Talking About Addiction event, where he spoke alongside Chief Fred Ryan of the Arlington, Massachusetts police department, Neill Franklin of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, and Scott Nolen, director of OSI-Baltimore’s Drug Addiction Treatment program.
On December 23, OSI-Baltimore announced its grant to bring a program with similar goals, called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), to Baltimore, resulting in a front-page story in the Baltimore Sun, followed by an op-ed by OSI-Baltimore’s Scott Nolen and Tara Huffman on the 28th.
As consensus builds that the War on Drugs has failed and alternative approaches take root, OSI looks forward to being part of the solution.