The Burlington Police Department has confirmed with the Vermont Forensic Laboratory that fentanyl has been present in the heroin ingested during three nonfatal overdose incidents in May of 2016. Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic pain killer associated with scores of deaths around the country.
Chief Brandon del Pozo of the Burlington Police states; “The presence of fentanyl in the Burlington heroin supply has been rising steadily based on information we have been getting from the addicted community and the Vermont Forensic Laboratory.”
Officers’ use of naloxone has been lifesaving in many of these incidents. The Burlington Police Department began training its officers in the administration of naloxone as a lifesaving antidote to opiate overdoses last December. This is one of several initiatives the City has taken to grapple with the serious opiate challenge that Burlington faces.
In April, the City Council approved the CommunityStat municipal effort to coordinate a regional approach to the opiate crisis. Additional municipal and community efforts contributed to the reduction of the Chittenden County treatment waiting list. The Police Department has also increased the number of foot patrols and reinvigorated and expanded its community policing efforts in order to build trust in the neighborhoods the officers serve.
Burlington has a long history of active engagement and strong neighborhoods. Please help us share this information to prevent the potential for future lives lost.
