AP
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.
The NYPD will start tackling prescription drug abuse with GPS tracked prescription bottles.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will unveil a four part process to combating prescription drug abuse in New York City when he speaks at the Clinton Health Matters Conference later today in California.
“We’re also distributing so-called ‘bait bottles’ containing placebo Oxycodone pills to be placed on pharmacy shelves,” Kelly said according to planned remarks.
These bottles will be equipped with a GPS tracking device that the police can use to follow the bottle and possibly locate “stash locations.”
“The NYPD knows firsthand the destructive power of addiction to Oxycontin,” Kelly said.
One of the department’s own retired officers became addicted to pills after an injury on the job and started robbing pharmacies at gunpoint.
Kelly hopes the “bait bottles” combined with educating students at the high school and college levels about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, enhanced training for police officers and the development of a new task force will cut down on prescription drug abuse.
“We’ve established a tactical drug diversion task force together with the Drug Enforcement Administration,” Kelly said.
“Our partnership with the DEA also gives us access to its vast, national database which tracks the distribution of controlled substances.”
In addition to those measures, Kelly will also announce a citywide education program for young people as well as building a database of every licensed pharmacist in the area under "Operation Safety Cap."
Kelly to announce measures to tackle prescription drug problem in NYC
This article
Kelly to announce measures to tackle prescription drug problem in NYC
can be opened in url
http://newsshepherd.blogspot.com/2013/01/kelly-to-announce-measures-to-tackle.html
Kelly to announce measures to tackle prescription drug problem in NYC
