Heroin Enforcement and Assistance Response Team

The Heart Initiative is the Yonkers Police Departments new approach to combating the growing epidemic of heroin addiction. It consists of a three prong approach: Prevention, Assistance and Enforcement. The primary focus of this initiative is on treatment of the disease of heroin/ opioid addiction as opposed to the strict enforcement for heroin/opioid use.

Goals

• Identify areas of Community where high volume of heroin/ opioid crime/ use is occurring and deploy police resources accordingly
• Encourage heroin/opioid users to seek recovery
• Educate the Community regarding the dangers associated with opioid use and the potential to lead to heroin
• Connect addicts with treatment programs and facilities
• Distribute Narcan to all Patrol Officers and ensure that they are properly trained in its use
• Coordinate the Yonkers Police Narcotics Unit’s efforts against heroin/ opioid crime with other Departments in the region

Prevention / Education

Drug Giveback Program

Drop boxes are located in all of our Police Precincts offering the Community a safe location to discard all unused, unneeded or expired prescription medication 24 hours a day.

Studies have shown that abuse of prescription medication often leads to heroin addiction.

Community Affairs

Community Affairs Officers will give presentations on the HEART Initiative and drug prevention upon request at all of the following:

• Schools
• Community Group meetings
• Community Council Meetings

Community Affairs can be contacted at 914-377-7375 for any requests to give HEART presentations

Yonkers Police Social Media Platforms will also provide information on treatment referral, drug prevention as well as information about the HEART Program.

Assistance

Creation of HEART cards with information regarding substance abuse referral.

Patrol Officers will identify anyone that they believe to be suffering from heroin/ opioid addiction and attempt to connect them to treatment centers at St John’s Riverside Hospital located at 2 Park Ave. The treatments offered at St John’s Hospital include the following:

• New Focus Center (Outpatient Rehabilitation Program)
  914-964-8000
• Inpatient Detox and Rehabilitation Program
  914-964-7537
• Community Outreach Coordinator
  914-760-7486

The Yonkers Police will be working closely with the District Attorney’s Office to divert those suffering from addiction into treatment as opposed to incarceration.

The distribution of Narcan to all Patrol units and training into its use.

Enforcement

Heart Program will track all heroin/ opioid related incidents. The Yonkers Police can use this information to deploy our resources into areas of increased heroin/opioid activity. A public safety emergency may exist whenever numerous overdoses occur in a short period of time that are possibly related. The Police can notify the public immediately and avoid future overdoses.

Coordinate enforcement of all heroin/opioid crimes with other agencies and department targeting drug dealers.

The public can anonymously contact our narcotics unit and provide information on all heroin/ opioid activity through 914-377-TIPS.

New York’s new “911 Good Samaritan” law provides protections from charge and prosecution for drug and alcohol possession for the victim and those who seek help during an overdose.