Passaic County's 'Operation Helping Hand' Targets Opioid Crisis

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A two-day law enforcement operation targeting the county's opioid crisis led to 13 arrests, but gave those suffering from addiction the chance to seek treatment, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said.

"Operation Helping Hand" concluded on April 19 after authorities from across Passaic County — including the Wayne Police Department — arrested 13 people. They were residents of Bergen, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex Counties in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York, and all shared a common struggle with addiction.

Rather than incarcerate these 13 people, authorities offered substance abuse treatment. All 13 accepted, the Prosecutor's Office said.

They either made an arrangement to start out-patient treatment at a later day, or were transported directly to treatment facilities by a member of law enforcement.

Authorities added that this treatment wasn't "in lieu of arrest."

"Rather, this process turns law enforcement encounters into an opportunity for individuals to turn their lives around and help break the cycle of addiction by connecting each individual with vital treatment, recovery and support services," the Prosecutor's Office said.

"With the collaborative effort of law enforcement and substance abuse treatment agencies, it is the mission of all those involved that the number of people afflicted with opioid addiction eventually decreases and that those who once suffered from its grasp can lead fruitful, productive, and healthy lives."

Each individual arrested during the initiative was privately screened by a peer recovery specialist from the Morris County Center for Addiction Recovery, Education and Success (CARES) "in an effort to connect them with treatment and recovery services," the Prosecutor's Office said.

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