BJA FY 22 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program

I. Proposal Abstract

The City of Port St. Lucie (PSL) is located on the Southeast Coast of Florida with a population of 217,523 (U.S. Census, est. 7/1/2021) spread over an area of about 120 square miles. PSL has grown by 32.2% since 2010, at a rate of about 2.9% annually and has a population density of 1,843 people per square mile. This growth has brought with it considerable challenges, which includes the proliferation of drug overdoses.

Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) is seeking a Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSAP) grant for funding an Overdose Intervention Diversion Detective (OIDD). PSLPD seeks a federal grant in the amount of $439,074 to expand its efforts to establish an enhanced response to opioid abuse within the city over the 3-year grant period.

The need to have a OIDD to focus on these cases is apparent.  The traditional law enforcement response has proven inadequate to effectively address this growing concern in our community.  This detective would not only be able to investigate the overdose cases but provide a critical service to the victims and families by connecting them to the community resources in place to address this issue.  The number of overdose cases has had a negative impact on our community and made this position a vital necessity in our response to overdoses. 

PSLPD recognizes that enforcement alone will not address this crisis.  By working together with various community partners, PSLPD believes it is not only necessary but imperative to increase access to and availability of substance treatment and recovery support along with education and outreach to the community.

PSLPD will collect data on a continual basis to measure the effectiveness of the program by tracking the most at risk citizens for overdoses through daily review of overdose incidents reported in the Records Management System (RMS) and the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP).  PSLPD also employs the lifesaving use of the opioid antagonist, Narcan (naloxone) to reverse the effect of an opioid overdose. These are assigned to every sworn officer.

PSLPD has funding and existing manpower allocations to attempt to address this overdose problem occurring within our community.  The federal assistance provided through this grant award will allow PSLPD the ability to expand with an additional dedicated detective to increase the effectiveness through the implementation of innovative strategies and partnerships.