Gloucester Police Department Community Impact Unit Accepts Donation to Fund Access and Transportation to Treatment for Those In Need

GLOUCESTER — Chief Edward Conley is pleased to announce that the John E. Rosenthal Charitable Trust donated $10,000 to the Gloucester Police Department Community Impact Unit to help eliminate obstacles for those seeking treatment for opioid and alcohol dependence.

The donation will support individuals in contact with the Community Impact Unit who want to access treatment but cannot find transportation to get there. It also will be used to support those who can’t afford initial payments to enter treatment and sober housing programs.

The donation stems from a conversation about obstacles for individuals who are seeking treatment and recovery between John E. Rosenthal, a Gloucester resident and co-founder and Board Chair of the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative and Tito Rodriguez, a civilian member of the Community Impact Unit and the City of Gloucester’s Health Navigator.

“Sometimes even the smallest bump on the road to treatment and recovery can provoke the urge to reach for a substance of choice. These funds will truly save lives as they enable our Community Impact Unit to aid those who are ready to give recovery a chance,” Chief Conley said. “We appreciate both the financial generosity of Mr. Rosenthal, and his attentiveness to the small issues that can have outsized and tragic effects on those who are trying to better themselves.”

Not only is Rosenthal Co-founder and Chair of the Board of Directors for P.A.A.R.I., the non-profit that seeks to enhance non-arrest pathways for police to assist those facing substance use disorders, he also founded and chairs other nonprofit organizations including Friends of Boston’s Homeless and Stop Handgun Violence.

Rosenthal said Gloucester Police have shown nationwide leadership, and that the department and Community Impact Unit have produced results that have proven to the nation that law enforcement can play a major role in reducing and preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment.

“Substance use disorder is a disease, not a crime and requires treatment not jail. Law enforcement has a unique role as first responders, and the Gloucester Police Department has led the nation in compassionate community policing, especially for people suffering with substance use disorder,” Rosenthal said. “I too have a unique view into addiction and homelessness, and I know that at times it’s the little things that can help people the most. You have to respond when people are ready to embrace treatment and recovery, and not just when resources allow you to respond. I’m confident that this donation will help save lives by enabling the Community Impact Unit to further break down barriers and help more people access treatment.”

The Gloucester Police Department Community Impact Unit was formed in February 2020 to expand on the Department’s Angel Program and offer support and resources to anyone struggling with substance use disorder, mental health issues and homelessness. 

The unit has been in contact with approximately 1,200 individuals who requested assistance.

The donation comes just as the nation marks a grim milestone in the Opioid epidemic — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released provisional data on Wednesday showing that drug overdose deaths in the U.S. rose by over 28 percent during the 12-month period from April 2020 to April 2021, with an estimated 100,306 people losing their lives to overdoses. The data marks the first time estimated overdose deaths have risen above 100,000 in a one year period.

“The data released on Wednesday illustrates why we need urgency, persistence and an approach that involves the entire community as we seek to continuously increase the resources and support available to those battling substance use disorder. The stakes are life and death.” said Rosenthal. “Whether it’s by making a financial donation, or just properly disposing of expired medications, we should all do our part to help the nation overcome the deadly dependence on opioids that has claimed so many lives and touched so many families.”

Anyone seeking to donate to the Community Impact Unit’s work is asked to send a check in the name of the Gloucester Fund to the Community Impact Unit, Browns Mall, 186 Main St., Suite 23, Gloucester, MA 01930.