[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5946-S5947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DIXON POLICE DEPARTMENT SAFE PASSAGE INITIATIVE

  Mr. DURBIN. In the last 2 years, I have spoken with so many 
Illinoisans about the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic. I have 
heard many different perspectives, including those from law 
enforcement, health care providers, criminal justice systems, the 
pharmaceutical industry, Federal oversight agencies, parents, loved 
ones, and recovering addicts.
  I have learned that there is no town too small and no suburb too 
wealthy to avoid this crisis of addiction and overdose. Opioids and 
heroin are affecting communities all across the country.
  Last November, I travelled to Dixon, IL, to learn about their work to 
combat the scourge of prescription opioid misuse. That is where I met 
chief of police Danny Langloss of the Dixon Police Department, who is 
leading an innovative effort with the Lee County Sherriff's Department 
to address this problem.
  Chief Langloss told me that the town had experienced a spike in 
opioid overdose deaths, which was quite uncommon for the area. As a 
result, the Dixon Police Department launched a new plan, one that was 
unconventional for law enforcement, but had proven to be effective in 
other parts of the country.
  They started the Safe Passage Initiative, a program that promotes 
treatment alternatives to arrest and incarceration. The police 
department put the word out that, if residents suffering from addiction 
came forward for help and turned in their drug paraphernalia, they 
would be assisted in finding addiction treatment rather than being 
arrested, so long as they did not have outstanding warrants. This 
program is a model for other communities. It embodies the public health 
approach to this epidemic that views substance abuse as a disease and 
not purely a criminal matter.
  Well, what has happened? Immediately after the announcement, the 
police department had dozens of residents come forward, asking for 
help. They were provided with social services and rehabilitation 
options. Since the program's initiation, the Dixon Police Department 
has helped to place more than 100 individuals into treatment. This is 
quite the cause for celebration, especially in a small, rural community 
where it can be incredibly difficult to find open treatment slots. 
Months later, many of these local residents are now clean and on the 
path toward recovery.
  What else has happened? Crime is down, and the jail cells are not 
nearly as full as they once were. Rather than arresting addicts for 
petty crimes that feed their addictions, they are being steered towards 
long-term help.
  Today I would like to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of this 
program and commend the Dixon Police Department, Chief Danny Langloss, 
and their partners in the treatment and advocacy community who have 
helped to make this program a success. The program has now expanded to 
multiple neighboring counties, including Whiteside County and 
Livingston County. When we talk about this opioid epidemic and the need 
for all stakeholders to step up and do their part, the Safe Passage 
Initiative is a worthy effort that is helping to turn the tide.
  Today there is a network of more than 145 police departments and 300 
treatment centers that are taking this commonsense approach to 
addressing the opioid crisis.
  It is true that real barriers remain. I know that the Dixon Police 
Department struggles at times to find available beds for individuals 
that come forward to their program. And that is why

[[Page S5947]]

I am working to expand access to addiction treatment by removing an old 
Medicaid rule, known as the IMD exclusion, which will help more people 
get the care they need. I am also working to increase funding for 
treatment centers and have succeeded in changing Federal regulations so 
that more individuals can receive effective treatment services.
  Across our Nation, there are an average of 77 drug overdose deaths 
each day. In Illinois, we experienced approximately 1,700 heroin and 
prescription opioid overdose deaths in 2014, a 29 percent increase from 
2010. With the leadership of the Dixon Police Department and the 
dedication of its partners, we will help make a difference for those 
suffering from addiction. I congratulate them on the 1-year anniversary 
of the Safe Passage Initiative and look forward to greater success and 
expansion across the State in the future.

                          ____________________