Want to make a difference in your community? The Newburyport Citizen's Advisory Committee is seeking new members to join our committee and participate in monthly meetings where we discuss topics related to the police department, as well as neighborhood public safety.
What is the Citizen's Advisory Committee? The committee was formed in 2004 with its primary mission being to improve communication between the public and the police department, thus allowing us to better serve our community.
The goal of the committee is to enhance mutual understanding, communication and cooperation within the city. The committee is comprised of Newburyport residents with various backgrounds who make up an advisory group with the city marshal. Members include citizens from our school system, local businesses, community organizations, local media, as well as Newburyport residents. The committee meets monthly, and is always open to the public.
We all want to improve things within the city, and becoming a member of the CAC is a great way to do it. Join us! Interested? Send a resume and letter of interest to Marshal Thomas Howard, Newburyport Police Department, 4 Green St., Newburyport, MA 01950. It's a great way to get to know your police department and other involved citizens in our city.
I also wanted to mention that our new unused/expired prescription medication drop-off box is ready in the lobby of the Newburyport police station. Just come on in and drop off all of your unused/expired prescriptions, and we'll see that they are properly disposed of. As you've probably been hearing lately, prescription medications in homes have become the leading drug of choice with our young people.
These unused medications are easy to get, and more importantly, kids think that they are safer because they are prescriptions. Drugs such as Percocet, Oxycontin, Percodan, Codeine and other narcotics are among medications that can produce a state of euphoria in those who are abusing these drugs. These drugs are known as "opioids" and are commonly prescribed pain-killers. Long-term use of these medications can result in a physical dependence, but more importantly, a large dose can lead to severe respiratory depression, which can lead to death.
Help us protect the children of our community by bringing your unused or expired medications to the police station drop-off box for proper, environmentally safe disposal. Please place these medications in zip lock-type bags so that the contents do not spill out! Don't put it off. There are no questions, unless you have them for us. In addition, some of you may have read lately about unusual levels of medications that have been found in the Merrimack River. It goes without saying that these medications could end up in our drinking water, so please don't flush those meds away! Bring them to us. That way, you know for SURE that they have been disposed of properly!
Until next month, be safe, and be good to each other. As always, you can reach me at wsteeves@cityofnewburyport.com, or leave me a voice mail at 978-462-4411.
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Bill Steeves is a Newburyport police officer. His column appears monthly in The Daily News.
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