Dennis police win grant to combat opiate crisis

COURTESY OF THE DENNIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

DENNIS – The Dennis Police Department was recently awarded a year two grant from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program in the amount of $72,443 by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Office of Grants and Research (OGR).

The department’s goal for the use of the grant funding is to continue to focus on two issues that impact the community; persons with mental health issues and the abuse of opiates.

The department’s efforts will include increased drug interdiction and investigation to identify the sources of opiates in the Town of Dennis and the training of officers in Crisis Intervention Team concepts of responding to persons with mental health issues.

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants & Research (OGR) is responsible for administering the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, a grant program originating from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and Bureau of Justice Assistance.

The JAG Program is authorized by the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and is designed to provide seed money to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on local needs and conditions.

The JAG Program provides Massachusetts critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement; prosecution and court programs; prevention and education programs; corrections and community corrections; drug treatment and enforcement; crime victim and witness initiatives; and planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs.

Media release provided by Dennis Police Lieutenant Peter Benson