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On Thursday in Atlantic City, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey held the New Jersey Law Enforcement Training: On the Front Lines of the Opioid Epidemic conference, the first ever statewide law enforcement event to unite federal, state, county and local law enforcement officials to discuss the opioid epidemic ravaging the state.
The conference was a resounding success, as more than 200 attendees, including representatives from more than 60 state, county and local law enforcement agencies, received important updates on the crisis and their role in addressing it.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who delivered the keynote address, announced for the first time publicly that his office has filed a lawsuit against eight members of the Sackler family, founders of oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma. He also outlined the progress being made in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
The training emphasized the importance of cooperation between law enforcement entities at all levels. A panel featuring representatives from the DEA, FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office discussed the role of the federal government, while the New Jersey State Police, Division of Consumer Affairs, county prosecutors and New Jersey Poison Center were represented on a state panel.
Leaders of county and local departments also presented on programs they implemented to address the opioid epidemic in their communities.
Law enforcement plays an important role in addressing the opioid epidemic, and it was encouraging to see so many leaders unite to continue to tackle this critical issue.
Since its inception 27 years ago, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey has successfully collaborated with law enforcement communities on numerous initiatives, of which many have become national models. The Partnership looks forward to continuing this exemplary cooperation in serving all the residents of the state of New Jersey.
