State, county officials tout new approach to tackling drug addiction

ELYRIA — State and county officials gathered on Friday to discuss a new way of combating drug addiction in Lorain County and beyond. They spoke on the second day of Lorain County's inaugural Operation BRIDGE (Bridging Recovery & Interdiction Data Gathering Enforcement) event, which sought to connect addiction recovery resources, law enforcement and the members of the public who may need them. Operation BRIDGE is a concept that came out of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and specifically the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center. The ONIC provides analysis and forensic services for drug crimes to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The program gathers law enforcement agencies and a variety of resources to benefit people seeking recovery from drug addiction in one place. Doug Kinder of the Narcotics Intelligence Center said that before working for the state, he was in law enforcement for 36 years and saw the devastation of drug addiction in Ohio. "I have seen firsthand how the drug problem in the state of Ohio has torn apart families in disrupted communities," Kinder said. "Operation BRIDGE is a different approach to fighting the drug problem in the state of Ohio by disrupting the supply and reducing the demand." The program has two prongs: law enforcement arrests drug dealers and limits the supply of drugs while also, with the help of local service providers, going into the community and offering treatment to those addicted to drugs, rather than punishment. "By deflecting people with substance abuse addiction away from incarceration and into treatment, we are saving lives and making lives better," Kinder said. The Lorain County event on Thursday and Friday, which took place at the Walmart Supercenter at Chestnut Commons in Elyria, was the fifth Operation BRIDGE event to take place this year and two more are planned in the state this summer, ODPS officials said. Lorain County Sheriff's Office Maj. Richard Bosley, who heads the Office's Drug Task Force, helped organize the event along with other law enforcement officials and service providers. Service partners included the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery (MHARS) Board of Lorain County, Riveon Mental Health and Recovery, Lorain County Community Action Agency and other agencies. Before the event, Bosley told The Chronicle that the MHARS Board was critical in bringing Operation BRIDGE to life in Lorain County. MHARS Executive Director Michael Doud spoke about the importance of diverting people with addiction issues to treatment. He said that the Lorain County Crisis Receiving Center which the board is currently building would allow police a place to send people who had been arrested for drug use or possession. "The goal behind this is for that individual, who the (police) officer believes would benefit from treatment, they'll be diverted from booking, which results in incarceration which results in bad outcomes," Doud said. "Our goal with the (Center), which will act as a diversion, is to connect those who need our recovery support services into treatment (and) assigning them a peer recovery supporter who will walk alongside them during recovery." The Crisis Receiving Center is expected to open its doors in August 2025. Bosley said on Friday that the organizers battled both rain and high heat during the two-day event, but he believed that it was a step toward a more holistic approach to combating addiction in the county. Other law enforcement agencies represented at the event included Amherst, Sheffield, Kipton, Elyria and Lorain, as well as the Elyria Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. OSHP Lt. Cliff Dowell said his troopers would be vigilant in enforcing drug violations, but also invested in the treatment and care of those who are addicted. "Operation BRIDGE is not just about enforcement," Dowell said. "It's also about offering assistance to those that are struggling with addiction. (It) embodies our commitment to the community, prevention and support. So together we can ensure Ohio's roadways and communities are a safer place for everyone … by offering support we're providing a bridge to recovery for those that are in need." Enforcement is a crucial component of the state's plans, Director of RecoveryOhio Aime Chadwick said, but its focus would be on those who provide drugs, not those addicted to them. "Gov. (Mike) DeWine feels really strongly that the folks who are trafficking these deadly substances be held accountable," she said. "So we want those folks who are trafficking these deadly substances and bringing them into our community to be held accountable through our interdiction efforts." However, she said taking that same approach with those addicted to drugs would not provide a sustainable path to sobriety. "We know that people finding that path to recovery is less likely to happen when they're in jail versus when they are in treatment and recovery programs," Chadwick said. "And so that's really what Operation BRIDGE is all about. It's about holding those traffickers accountable, but most importantly, helping people find that path to recovery." This is a personal issue for Chadwick, she said, as her own brother is currently in recovery for addiction and will be celebrating seven years of sobriety soon. "Like many people, uh, one of the things that led (my brother) on his path and his opportunity to recovery was an interaction with law enforcement," Chadwick said. "And (being) given that opportunity to engage in treatment. So I know not only personally, but also professionally, why this work that we all are doing together is so important and how it does save lives." Bosley said he was proud of the cooperation that he saw both among different law enforcement agencies as well as between law enforcement and service providers. His most important message for residents, Bosley said, was not to wait before trying to help a loved one get treatment for drug addiction. "One thing that I want to stress is that we no longer want to wait for an overdose to happen before we respond," Bosley told The Chronicle. "If you know someone who is struggling with addiction and there is any chance you think they may be open to treatment, please reach out to someone." He said that residents should reach out to the sheriff or to Elyria, Avon, Avon Lake, Lorain or Amherst police to send a quick response team. Quick response teams include law enforcement officers and service providers to help get people into treatment, rather than in prison. Another resource available to residents is naloxone, the generic name for Narcan, a drug that can stop an overdose. Residents can find a free naloxone pickup location through Lorain County Public Health at LorainCountyHealth.com/opioids or have it delivered at their door through the state at naloxone.ohio.gov. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.