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Date: 1/31/2023
WARE – To help members of the community dealing with substance abuse, the Ware Police Department is now taking walk-ins every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m.
Police Officer John Cacela brought this offering to Ware at the start of 2023.
Cacela has been a part of a regional team known as Drug Addiction and Recovery Team (DART) for about five years. DART, which is based out of Northampton, was created to mitigate opioid overdoses and reduce substance misuse. Cacela explained that DART is a collaboration with police departments, hospitals and other organizations that recognize people who are dealing with substance abuse and provide them with the necessary help.
When visiting the Ware Police Department at 22 North St., people can ask to speak with Cacela. Whether people have questions, are looking for resources, literature or obtaining free Narcan, Cacela will be able to assist.
“We are here to serve and respect all of our residents, whether they are facing tough times or not. They are our parents, grandparents, children, our family and friends. They come from every walk of life, every socio-economic status and are of any age. They are soldiers, lawyers and business owners. They are students and teachers,” said the Ware Police Department in a statement.
Since the offering began, Cacela said he has not seen much of a turnout. However, the Police Department is working to spread the word in hopes of drawing in more people in need of services.
He went on to say that a lot of people have been coming in who want to assist him with the program. Cacela said most of those individuals are in recovery from substance abuse and want to share their experiences in hopes of helping others.
“I’ve gotten a lot of insight from people who are dealing with that,” he added.
In addition to offering weekly walk-ins, Cacela noted that the Police Department has funded other extracurricular activities such as paint classes, gym memberships and more in town for people dealing with substance abuse.