Oakland County
Sheriff’s Office Visit to Highland Focuses on Recovery Resources, Police Training
Sheriff’s Workplace -Go to to Highland focuses on sources of restoration, police coaching
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 28, 2025)
Highland Township, Mi – Oakland County Sheriff’s Workplace group members visited Highland on Saturday and arranged a group interview in Cornerstone Church to assist members of the general public find out about assets and to expertise some points of coaching for themselves.
The occasion included a row simulator trailer the place these current might be in a check topic and expertise totally different situations that might encounter these in legislation enforcement, comparable to automobiles which are fleeing visitors stops and having to chase suspects whereas they attempt to keep away from different drivers on the street. The simulator makes video from the “driver” in order that they will see themselves reply throughout quick repetitions, which supplies officers the prospect to observe staying calm beneath stress and exhibits the viewers how aggravating components of police work could be.
Delegates additionally had digital actuality glasses to indicate guests different examples of conditions which may be the police within the work, comparable to searching for an condominium for an suspect or the involvement of an armed thief.
The occasion additionally gave delegates the chance to share assets, together with free gun locks and free Narcan. Narcan is a nasal spray that can be utilized on somebody who has an opioid overdose to presumably save their lives. OCSO cooperates with the alliance of coalitions for wholesome communities on the prevention of substance use and on the distribution of Narcan (Naloxon) all through the province. There are Save-A-Life stations in lots of communities the place folks can receive the medication, in addition to testing provides to verify for Fentanyl, with out prices and no questions requested. The Save-A-Life stations appear to work as a result of the loss of life of overdose doesn’t come down, however there may be nonetheless loads of work to do.
Pepper Catt is a Peer Navigator and Case Supervisor for the Alliance. She attended the occasion of April 26 to reply questions. Cat remembered that she had struggled with habit up to now. “I had no assist in 2016. I used to be very lonely and really remoted,” she stated. “I do that as a result of I do not need individuals who really feel loneliness. Essentially the most tough problem is individuals who have misplaced confidence in themselves and don’t consider that there’s a second likelihood.”
When she meets people who find themselves struggling, she lets them know she is there. “Not everybody will need assist, however I allow them to know that in the event that they try this, I’m right here,” stated Catt.
Belief can be a problem for folks in restoration. “The scariest and most tough resolution I’ve made is another person’s belief. I’ve been wounded so usually that it’s tough to consider that somebody desires to assist,” she stated. The Alliance works with individuals who ‘had expertise’ as a result of they know what it’s like, and, stated Catt, “as a result of we’ve a ardour for what we do.”
Sgt. Chris Miller, who’s a commander for the OCSO who supervises the disaster response unit, additionally does prevention work due to experiences from observe. He has been in legislation enforcement for greater than 35 years, with the previous two devoted to disaster response. A second early in his profession stayed with him.
He was out of service when he and his spouse attended a live performance and a stranger close to him began overdose. “Now I put on Narcan wherever I am going,” Sgt. Stated Miller. “However then I did not have one on me. And the live performance location had none. In order that particular person needed to undergo till paramedics had been there and revived him.”
Overdoses can occur wherever and they aren’t essentially certain by leisure drug use. “We see individuals who haven’t any insurance coverage that purchasing drugs from the web, they assume they’re medicines, however are peppered with fentanyl. We see college students who assume they purchase aspirin from a pal, or maybe adderall as a result of they assume it can assist to maintain finding out, and it’s actually fentanyl. It occurs in any respect ages and in all communities.”
Years after the EYE opening concerter expertise, Miller additionally noticed a pal combating habit. The person had had a development firm and was injured in a job. With out a good protection of well being, the person aroused himself to purchase painkillers from the road and ultimately moved to heroin that was even simpler to acquire.
“Individuals have concepts about what habit seems like, however it will possibly actually occur to anybody,” he stated.
Miller stated that Oakland County Sheriff’s Workplace cooperates with the Alliance to assist folks, as a result of “we all know that we can’t arrest ourselves alone.” Prevention, training and sharing of life -saving means implies that no less than some folks could be saved from the opioid disaster.
Lots of these current on the occasion had been members of Cornerstone Church. Administrator Sue Cone helped to welcome representatives of the house and say that they wish to be a spot the place the group can come collectively. “We honor our police,” she stated, “and we do what we are able to to assist.”
Extra details about the alliance of group coalitions, together with native teams and places for SAVE-A-Life stations on the Alliance of Coalitions for Wholesome Communities web site https://alliananceemi.org/. Extra details about OCSO at https://www.oakgov.com/government/sheriff.
