Credit: PA Internet News Service
After a request from the Bucks County District Attorney and a group of Newtown Borough residents, the police department will begin carrying a lifesaving opioid antidote.
The announcement by Mayor Charles “Corky” Swartz came during Wednesday evening’s Newtown Borough Council meeting.
Officials said the officers will have to undergo training on how to administer the antidote. No cost was announced, but most, if not all, local law enforcement agencies have received their Narcan through grants or from the state.
“I want to thank everyone for their input on that, as well as the police department and the D.A.,” Swartz said.
District Attorney Matt Weintraub came before the Council in January asking them to consider arming its police force with doses of Naloxone, which is more commonly known as Narcan. The drug can save the life of a person who is overdosing on an opioid and can be administered by a nasal spray device.
Following Weintraub’s appearance at Council meeting, a group of area residents formed Newtown Area Residents CAN Save Lives (NarCAN). The group pushed to convince Newtown officials to give police Narcan.
Weintraub said Newtown Borough and Ivyland were the only two municipalities in the county that do not allow their officers to carry the antidote.
Bucks County has among the highest amount of Narcan saves in the entire state. Specifically in Newtown, Narcan has been used to reverse eight overdoses that could have killed over the past two years.
While police officers in the borough have not carried Narcan, medics usually have it with them and private citizens are able to legally obtain the antidote. The case for giving Narcan to police is based on the fact that they are often the first responders on the scene of drug-related calls.
The district attorney said last month that he spoke with Chief of Police Anthony Wojciechowski and he “vehemently” disagreed with giving his officers the antidote.
“[The chief] is justified in his beliefs,” the district attorney told Council, “but I truly believe everyone deserves a chance.”
Under civil law, anyone who administers Narcan to save a life is immune to liability, Weintraub said.
Weintraub said at the time that he took the rare step to come before Council because he wanted them to have all the information to make a decision.
