WINTHROP — Town Manager Anthony Marino and Police Chief John Goodwin are proud to report that Winthrop Police Lt. Sarko Gergerian and Director of Public Health and Clinical Services Meredith Hurley were recently presented with a leadership award from the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) for their work with Winthrop Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery (CLEAR).
Winthrop CLEAR, formed in 2014, is a partnership between the Winthrop Department of Public Health and Clinical Services, Winthrop Police and Winthrop Fire. CLEAR uses police data to find and help people struggling with substance use, mental health, and domestic violence challenges.
Winthrop CLEAR has helped thousands of Winthrop residents since its formation, and continues to be a state and national leader in providing accessible, wrap-around services to residents in need. Oftentimes the assistance provided by CLEAR helps police avoid making arrests or involuntarily committing people to emergency rooms.
CLEAR helps residents who face challenges with substance abuse, mental health, resource scarcity, domestic violence, and veteran’s affairs.
Director Hurley and Lt. Gergerian — founding members of Winthrop CLEAR — both attended PAARI’s 2025 Conference, where they participated in panel discussions, presented alongside Boston University research partner Jacey Greece, and received the 2025 Leadership Award for being an outstanding team.
PAARI is a national leader in deflection — creating non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery for those who suffer from substance use and mental health challenges. The organization’s annual conference is attended by hundreds of leaders from across the country who specialize in deflection.
PAARI presents the Leadership awards annually to leaders in the field of deflection.
“It has been one of the greatest joys of my life to help develop, implement, and grow recovery-oriented community policing in Winthrop,” said Lt. Gergerian. “We couldn’t have done it without forward thinking, courageous leadership, compassionate team-oriented members across departments, and a vision for a world where police officer and civilian interactions are used as opportunities to build trust, encourage healing, and set the stage for recovery.”
“We use the police data to search for, find, and connect with members of our community,” Lt. Gergerian added. “We do this to garner verbal consent from the person of concern to connect them with trained and supervised people who have lived experience overcoming similar struggles on the CLEAR Team. We want to keep people out of cages and coffins.”
“The fusion of public health and public safety in Winthrop has been integral to serving the needs of the community in a compassionate and trusting model,” said Director Hurley. “Over the past 10 years, we have had the privilege to gain a greater understanding of the people who live, work and visit our community.”
“I’m extremely proud to see Lt. Gergerian and Winthrop CLEAR recognized for their outstanding leadership in the field of deflection,” said Chief Goodwin. “Our efforts to help those who are struggling with substance use and mental health challenges have reduced both arrests and involuntary emergency room visits. Winthrop CLEAR is as effective as it is compassionate, and I am grateful for their work in the community.”
“Winthrop CLEAR is indeed a national leader in deflection and providing compassionate care to residents in need,” said Town Manager Marino. “I am proud to see Director Hurley, Lt. Gergerian, and the entire CLEAR team honored by their peers in this lifesaving field.”
To view individualized videos of Lt. Gergerian and Director Hurley speaking about CLEAR, click here or here.
To learn more about Winthrop CLEAR, visit: https://winthropclear.com/.
To learn more about PAARI, visit: https://paariusa.org/.
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