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Training for volunteers is held at local police departments.

continued from page 17

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May 10 • 2018

jn

dose deaths in other areas of the U.S
and in Macomb County, and we’re on
board.”
Patton, who’s been an officer for
more than 30 years, said he noticed
about four years ago an increase in
heroin overdoses in the city. “From
the spring of 2014 until now, West
Bloomfield has had
more than 40 hero-
in-related overdoses,
12 of which have
been fatal,” he said.
“In that same time,
we haven’t had four
homicides or four
fatal car crashes to
West Bloomfield
put it in perspective.”
Police Chief
The criminal
Michael Patton
justice system fills a
very narrow niche
in society, he adds. “It’s generally
acknowledged that law enforcement
alone can’t solve the opioid crisis.
Addiction is a disease and needs to
be handled that way. People need to
realize they need help. We’re happy
to provide an avenue for that in West
Bloomfield.”
For Hope Not Handcuffs to work at
its best, treatment-oriented judges are
required.
Several Oakland County District
Courts run treatment courts, includ-
ing the 43rd in Ferndale, the 47th
in Farmington Hills, the 51st in
Waterford, 52-1 in Novi, 52-2 in
Clarkston and 52-3 in Rochester. The
48th District Court in Bloomfield
Hills, which includes the heart of the
Jewish community in Bloomfield,
West Bloomfield, Birmingham,
Bloomfield Hills, Keego Harbor,
Orchard Lake Village and Sylvan Lake,
runs what Judge Kimberly Small calls
a “Recovery Court” and has been for
20 years.
“Helping people with drug and
alcohol addictions get into recovery is
good for the community as a whole,”
Small says. “It has a ripple effect for

society.”
Chief Judge of the 48th District
Court Diane D’Agostini agrees. “The
48th District Court has been persis-
tent in its use of treatment programs
without seeking additional tax dollars,
and the programs continue to be suc-
cessful,” she says.
Small has long been passionate
about addiction prevention. She is
involved in educating youth with
programs like Cool to Be Clean and
Critical Life Choices, which she has
presented to more than 20,000 young
people.
“I see my role as a judge as twofold,”
Small says. “First and foremost, my
job is to protect the
public. Second, I
also use my position
to help people by
putting them on a
more empowering
path than the one
that led to my door-
step.
Judge Diane
“I’m glad that
D’Agostini
West Bloomfield will
be launching Hope
Not Handcuffs,”
Small adds. “Having
another conduit for
people to get help is
great for the com-
munity.”
The first Oakland
Judge Kimberly
County training for
Small
Hope Not Handcuffs
took place in late
March. Angel volunteers are now
being recruited and receiving train-
ing. White Lake is ready to launch.
According to Patton, West Bloomfield
should be a month or so behind them.
To date, more than 1,100 Hope Not
Handcuffs participants are getting
the help they need. As more police
departments in Oakland County get
their programs launched, that num-
ber should rise exponentially. •