Full Notification

When the City of Emeryville Police Department launched its program to supply officers with Naloxone, a drug that counteracts opioid overdose symptoms, we had no idea it would be utilized so quickly. Less than 10 days after completing training on the recognition of opioid overdose symptoms and how to deploy Naloxone, Emeryville police officers responded to report of an unresponsive person. When the officers arrived, they noticed the patient was unresponsive, not breathing adequately and turning blue. A friend of the patient told the officers that she had ingested opioids before becoming unresponsive.

Officer Jeremy McBroom recognized the symptoms of an opioid overdose and administered Naloxone. The patient’s breathing increased, and the patient was transported by paramedics to a local hospital for emergency medical treatment. The Police Department’s First Aid/CPR Instructor, Officer Austin Kinkade, stated he was impressed with how quickly and effectively Officer McBroom was able to put his training into action.

According the Center for Disease Control, from 1999 to 2016 more than 350,000 people in the United States died from an overdose involving opioids. The incidents of fatal overdoses by ingesting opioids has been increasing rapidly since 2013 (https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html). In response to the epidemic of drug overdoses from both prescription and illicit opioids, the Emeryville Police Department recently trained its officers on the recognition of an opioid overdose and supplied its officers with Naloxone. We want the community to know that calling 911 for assistance with a drug ingestion issue will not result in any criminal charges for being under the influence of an illegal substance. Seeking help is not a crime.

The Emeryville Police Department wishes to thank the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency for their assistance in bringing the Naloxone program to Emeryville.

Emeryville Chief of Police
Jennifer G Tejada

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MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Emeryville Police Department is to protect life and property, to provide a safe respectful environment for people to live, work, and play. We achieve this through professional, proactive, fair and impartial policing in partnership with the community.