Published on July 10, 2017

Mayor Janice S. Mironov announced that East Windsor Township has implemented East Windsor C.A.R.E. (Community Addiction Recovery Effort), a new addiction recovery assistance program designed to provide important resources, support, guidance, access to treatment and counseling to individuals suffering from the disease of addiction.

Mayor Mironov explained, The East Windsor C.A.R.E. program is a partnership between our police department and members of the local opiate task force, specifically Recovery Advocates of America and City of Angels, initiated as an effort to provide individuals in need with the treatment essential to begin a recovery process.  The East Windsor C.A.R.E. program is now a standard operating procedure followed by Township police officers when they encounter individuals suffering from addiction, whether those contacts come by way of arrest, being involved in an incident or walking into police headquarters and requesting assistance.  The police department will provide to the individual, on a voluntary basis, a representative from a participating recovery agency and a safe, private setting to meet and discuss pathways to begin the recovery process.

According to Mayor Mironov, “The presence of drug abuse and addiction sadly is a reality in all of our communities, and the goal is to intervene as early as possible to provide support and professional options to these individuals to turn their lives to a more positive direction.  This program recognizes that addiction is a disease and that key resources, guidance, and support are needed at the earliest opportunity to assure individuals of available options and assist toward a successful recovery.  East Windsor C.A.R.E. makes those resources available at the most opportune time, when addicted individuals have had contact with the police department and may be most receptive to assistance in their recovery.”

East Windsor Chief of Police James Geary added, “All of the members of the East Windsor Police Department are proud of the East Windsor C.A.R.E. partnership.  It is our goal to help as many individuals as we can and do our part to help eliminate the disease of addiction and all of the negative consequences addiction has on individuals and families.”