Pleasantville Police Chief Erik Grutzner will attend the annual Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative conference in Boston this weekend.

PAARI helps local police departments address the problem of opioid addiction in their communities, and also aims to change the conversation regarding police officers with drug problems.

Grutzner said PAARI “is attempting to change the nature of the dialogue regarding police departments and those suffering from opioid addiction.”

PAARI began in 2015, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, when Police Chief Leonard Campanello developed a new solution to combat the war on drugs.

“Instead of arrest,” Grutzner explains, “departments that participate in PAARI offer outreach and assistance to people suffering from the disease of addiction. They have a network of rehab facilities and social services providers that police departments can tap into when someone comes looking for help.”

According to PAARI’s website, the organization aims to challenge the stigma around officers afflicted with a drug problem. Their mission “is to support the Gloucester Police addiction initiatives, to aid other police departments to implement similar programs, and to foster a dialogue around the unique opportunity for police departments to take direct action against the disease of drug addiction in their communities.”

“At this point, Pleasantville has not entered into this partnership,” Grutzner said. “My attendance at the conference is our first exposure to the program. However, the Pleasantville PD has assisted a few individuals find help without arrest or judgment. I believe this work is crucial to combat the opioid epidemic, and I am excited about the opportunities participation in this initiative will provide.”