STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - Strongsville city officials announced a new plan Wednesday to help combat the wave of opioid addiction that is devastating communities throughout Ohio.

The plan includes a number of initiatives, including a partnership with the State Highway Patrol and the establishment of a new community outreach program that will allow anyone with a drug addiction to come to the police station for help without fear of being arrested.

A Quick Response Team, consisting of members of police and fire departments, treatment specialists and the city's faith community, will provide follow-up help for overdose survivors and their families. This includes treatment options and referrals, recovery support and other services.

Strongsville police Chief Mark Fender, State Highway Patrol officials, city officials and faith leaders held a press conference Wednesday to announce the new plans.

City Council President Ken Dooner said the goal of the new programs is to educate people on the serious nature of opioid addiction and how people struggling with addiction shouldn't be afraid to go to law enforcement.

"We want to have our residents feel safe," he said. "We know this is bad, we want you to come and get some help. People are out there to help.

The city also announced a partnership with the State Highway Patrol in which troopers will primarily enforce and respond to all calls on Interstate 71 to give Strongsville officers more time to patrol their community. Another goal is to foster increased relationships between Strongsville police and the community through bicycle patrols, homeowner association meetings and foot patrol.

Officers already perform those duties, they will just have more man hours to do that instead of running radar patrols along Interstate 71, Dooner said.

Police Chief Mark Fender said this is the time for the community to work together to get people help.

"There's a lot of people out there hurting," he said. "We're not going to wait until the bottom falls out, we want to get ahead of it."

The city applied for a grant through the Ohio Attorney General's Office to underwrite the annual $74,000 cost to pay a police officer, paramedic and police lieutenant on the quick response team, Fender said. The city has not heard if it will receive the grant, Fender said.

Officials expect them to start patrolling Sept. 11, Fender said.

The city said it will also install a drug drop box at the Strongsville police station, on Royalton Road near Pearl Road, to allow people to dispose of unused prescription drugs.

The city will hold three addiction awareness and treatment forums at the Strongsville Recreation Center on Royalton Road. All of the events start at 6:30 p.m.

* Sept. 12 -- The Neurobiology of Addiction and how it Impacts the Family System and Society.

* Sept. 19 -- Available Resources from Family Support Groups and Recovery Groups.

* Sept. 26 -- Addiction and the Criminal Justice and Health Care Systems.

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