New Phoenix program allows users to get rid of drugs if they promise to get treatment
Oct 27, 2016, 5:12 AM
(AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)
(AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)
PHOENIX — Need drug treatment, but you’ve still got illegal drugs? That is no longer a problem under a new program in Phoenix.
The Angel Initiative in the Phoenix Police Department’s Maryvale-Estrella precinct allows users to turn in drugs and paraphernalia and request treatment without the threat of prosecution.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said he supports the program wholeheartedly.
“It underscores the desire of law enforcement to help those in need of treatment get treatment,” he said. “[This is] before we have to deal with them as a consequence of committing other crimes, in which we now have victims to address.”
The Angel Initiative also helps parents who use get childcare so their children don’t go into foster care while they receive treatment.
To qualify for the program, users have to be 18 or older, live in Maryvale and have a valid state ID. There are also some rules to follow.
“Refrain from engaging in illegal and/or inappropriate activity,” Montgomery said. “They also must be willing to go to detox.”
Those in the program cannot be a fugitive or have any prior or pending charges for crimes involving violence, arson, sexual offenses, children or the elderly.
To apply for the program, head the the Phoenix police station near 63rd Avenue and Encanto Boulevard in Phoenix between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you need childcare, fill out the forms prior to arrival.
