Sheriff Ingram Announces Anchor Initiative

On November 16, Sheriff John Ingram held a press conference to announce a new program offered by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office that has a simple mission: to save lives!

We have an addiction epidemic plaguing not only our county and surrounding area, but nationwide.  One life lost to addiction is too many.

Over the past year we have studied multiple organizations and programs across the country, evaluated our own problems and put together the best program for our county and citizens. We have found the three biggest excuses for addicts on not seeking IMMEDIATE treatment assistance has been lack of knowledge, money and transportation.

How You Can Help

How The Program Works

  • Individuals with addictions can contact the Sheriff’s Office through self-referral, social referral or officer interaction
  • Once contact is made, the person requesting assistance declares they are addicted and request assistance
  • Participants will not be charged with drugs or paraphernalia found in their possession if socially or self-referred. Participants are not asked where the drugs came from during these encounters. Those encountered by law enforcement while in the criminal element are subject to arrest, however the arrest does not disqualify them from Anchor assistance.
  • The individual will be put in immediate contact with an Anchor coordinator, who will respond and do an assessment.
  • The coordinator will contact RHA Mobile Crisis or a like entity to start the process of finding availability for detox facilities.
  • If the individual is in need of medical treatment, the coordinator will transport then to the local ER to be checked out.
  • During this process the Anchor Coordinator will be working to find the individual with a treatment option, first seeking inpatient, comprehensive outpatient or intensive outpatient.
  • The Anchor coordinator will be working with the volunteer group to provide transportation to and from the ER, Detox and Treatment as needed.
  • The Initiative will strive to keep the cost for these individuals as low as possible, paying for the transportation, Detox (if necessary) and initial entrance fees to treatment providers (if necessary)

Benefits to Law Enforcement

  • SAVE LIVES
  • Reduction of Opiate use and related emergency calls
  • Reduction in property crimes
  • Increase and strengthen the Law Enforcement/ Community bond Building partnerships and resources
  • Establishing a plan of action towards combating the next epidemic

Funding

This program will be ran solely from charitable donations, fund raisers and grants (if approved)

To see the press conference in its entirety, please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/brunswicksheriff/.

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