Cassopolis police officers to receive Narcan kits

CASSOPOLIS, Mich. ----Cassopolis Police Department has access to a life-saving tool.

The department will start giving officers Narcan kits after getting the green light from Cassopolis Village Council. Cassopolis is one of the last departments in the area to use Naloxone.

The drug treats narcotic overdoses in emergency situations.

David Johnson, president of Cassopolis Village Council, said the council was waiting to see if a federal mandate, providing instructions for the Narcan kits, would be placed on the counties. He also said the council wanted to know if this was a problem in their county.

Officer Donald Obermesik said education of the public was a huge help for getting these kits approved.

“One of the things that’s hard is to educate the public that when someone has an overdose due to a narcotic overdose, they fear the police are going to come arrest them or something,” Officer Obermesik said.

He said the police officers come as first responders first.

Naloxone has been praised by police agencies for:

• protecting officers who come in contact with narcotics out in the field, such as fentanyl,

• saving the lives of those who could have possibly died due to an overdose,

• and according to Officer Obermesik, the drugs save children’s lives.

He said many police departments are getting more 911 calls about children overdosing after accidentally getting into their parent’s prescription drugs.

Police officers in Cassopolis will start using the Narcan kits in the next coming weeks.