This publication of the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) presents results of a survey about overdose response and preparedness among law enforcement.
This fact sheet by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) provides details, based on a survey, about how agencies obtain their naloxone, training content surrounding overdose response for officers, and respondents’ beliefs on whether administering naloxone and other programs aimed at reducing opioid use in the community is a responsibility of law enforcement agencies. In 2020, RTI International fielded the Law Enforcement Overdose Response Survey, funded by Arnold Ventures, to a nationally representative sample of law enforcement agencies, including municipal police departments, county sheriffs’ offices, and state police. The sample was provided by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), which served as a project partner. Agencies participating in the survey differed in rurality and size, providing a comprehensive view of how diverse law enforcement agencies across the county have equipped their officers to respond to illicit drug use in their communities. The survey included questions regarding the use of naloxone, training, overdose incidents in the community, and other programs for overdose response. Based on the results of the survey, 80 percent of respondents equipped officers with naloxone (n=1,927 agencies).