Full Notification

Like many communities across the United States, the City of Janesville has been affected by the Opioid and Heroin epidemic.

Since January 1st the Janesville Police Department has responded to 41 overdoses and investigated 9 confirmed deaths related to Opioids/Heroin. Over this past weekend Janesville officers investigated two additional deaths that also appear to be Heroin related.

Often, non-fatal overdoses are not reported to the police. As a result, we believe that the actual number of Opioid/Heroin related overdoses in the City of Janesville is at least three times higher than reported.

So far in 2017, officers have made arrests in 20 of the 50 cases with charges ranging from violation of probation/parole rules to 1st degree reckless homicide for providing the drugs that resulted in the death of another.

The Janesville Police Department recognizes that enforcement of laws is only one tool that can be used to help fight this epidemic. Programs designed around prevention and treatment for people who abuse opioids and heroin is also critical.

The Janesville Police Department participates in the Rx Alert program and has dedicated one officer to assist heroin users through the DROP (Death, Recovery, or Prison) program. The Rx Alert program establishes a line of communication between law enforcement, pharmacies and medical professionals to monitor fraudulent activity for prescription medication. The DROP program offers help and treatment options to heroin users in an attempt to get their lives back together.

Additionally, the Janesville Police Department provides a prescription medication drop-off/disposal location at the police department so that citizens can safely dispose of unneeded medication. Additional locations can be found throughout the city. For information on other locations, citizens can visit http://doseofrealitywi.gov/

Finally, law enforcement alone will not be successful without community support and investment. We encourage our citizens to visit http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/hope and http://doseofrealitywi.gov/ for the most current information on legislative involvement on the epidemic and what to look for if you believe someone you know has an opioid or heroin problem.

If you would like to become involved in our community’s fight against this epidemic, please contact either Officer Chad Woodman at [email protected] or Erin Loveland at [email protected] . Both Officer Woodman and Erin Loveland are part of the Rock Co Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Task Force.

The police department highly cautions against any use of illegal narcotics, and encourages those facing addiction(s) proactively seek treatment. As with any overdose please call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.