Full Notification

The Petaluma Police Department continues to receive numerous reports of drug related overdoses occurring throughout the city.  Every 8 days someone in Sonoma County dies as a result of an accidental drug overdose.  Annually, the County of Sonoma averages 476 emergency visits for accidental drug overdoses resulting in an average of 44 deaths. 
 
Since January 1, 2018 the Petaluma Police Department alone has responded to 49 calls involving overdoses and of those 9 have resulted in death.  The majority of these cases resulting in death have involved the use of opiates or other synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl.  These numbers do not include those cases that the Petaluma Fire Department responds to independently, or incidents where family and friends self-transport overdose victims to local hospitals themselves.
 
Petaluma Police Department requests 9-1-1 be promptly called at the first signs that someone may be overdosing or having a medical emergency.  All of our officers have been outfitted with NARCAN and provided training on the use of the anti-opioid medication.  Tragically, some of these deaths that have occurred could possibly have been prevented had medical attention been provided sooner.
 
Petaluma Police Department would like to remind everyone in the community that Section 11376.5 of the California Health and Safety Code prohibits the arrest or prosecution of any person under the influence of narcotics, in possession of narcotics, or in possession of drug paraphernalia when they seek medical assistance for a person experiencing an overdose and they do not obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel. 
 
Petaluma Police Department continues to work diligently to reduce the amount of narcotics available in our community.  Petaluma Police Department’s most important goal is to keep narcotics and prescription medications out of the hands of the youth of our community.
 
Petaluma Police Department continues to participate in the Safe Medicine Disposal Program and our anonymous drop-off bin located in the lobby of the police department is available 24/7 to dispose of your wanted or unused medication.  Please refer to the Safe Medicine Disposal Program’s website at www.safemedicinedisposal.org for further information regarding what is accepted and how to safely handle medication being disposed. 
 
For more information related to Opioids and Accidental Overdoses go to http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Services/Opioids/