The town of Harwich had four overdose-related deaths last year, and that prompted Town Meeting voters to fund a full-time police department position dedicated solely to addressing the opiate issue.
Patrol Investigator Peter Patell works on what the department calls “street level drug interdiction”- getting to know addicts in town, and making himself available to offer help. He also coordinates his efforts with the Cape Cod Drug Task Force, and offers drug awareness outreach in local schools.
Patell said addicts often don’t readily respond to offers of help, and it’s important to keep showing up.
“You know, if they refuse it that time, at least we give them the brochures and the information,” Patell said. “When they get to a point where they feel as though they’ve hit rock-bottom and they need that help, if they see me, it’s a friendly face, and they know that maybe I can get them into some assistance.”
Detective Sergeant Bob Brackett also plays a role in the program. He said the overdose danger has become much worse since the drug Fentanyl hit the streets. Heroin and Fentanyl look exactly alike, but Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin.
“So if somebody is purchasing what they think is heroin but in reality it’s Fentanyl, they are going to administer the same amount of a dosage into their body. That is what will contribute to a significant level of overdoses,” Brackett said.
Spotting those overdoses before they happen is one of the key challenges for both Brackett and Patrol Investigator Patell, who’s been in his position for 8 months. The department has made a couple of significant busts in recent weeks, taking some 165 grams of heroin off the street.
