FIRST SELECTMAN TIMOTHY M. HERBST AND TRUMBULL POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL LOMBARDO ANNOUNCE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR JULY 14, 2015 WITH THE FIRST SELECTMAN’S DRUG PREVENTION TASK FORCE
July 10, 2015 -- First Selectman Timothy M. Herbst and Trumbull Police Chief Michael Lombardo announced on Friday that a press conference will be held on July 14, 2015 at 9:00 am with the First Selectman’s Drug Prevention Task Force. The press conference will be held in the First Selectman’s Conference Room. At this press conference, the First Selectman and the Chief of Police will announce a new prevention plan to address the drug epidemic confronting Trumbull as well as other communities. The First Selectman has not only invited members of the Drug Prevention Task Force, but has also invited other community representatives and clergy from throughout the community. “In my commencement address at Trumbull High School, I decided to specifically address the recent drug overdoses that have claimed the lives of some many young people because we have a moral obligation to attack this problem head on,” stated First Selectman Herbst. “We must emphasize to all of our residents that if a friend, a classmate or a loved one has a substance abuse problem, everyone must do everything they can to help that person. When you see something, you say something. None of us should live to regret not helping someone in need. All of us are capable of saving a person’s life or preventing a family’s grief.” The First Selectman noted that in a meeting two weeks ago with Chief Lombardo it was decided that a plan of action would be formulated by the Police Department involving all community stakeholders. “Chief Lombardo and his team have developed a solid plan that is rooted in education, deterrence and enforcement. The goal of the First Selectman’s Drug Prevention Task Force, which I created earlier this year, will be to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to put Chief Lombardo’s plan into action.”
Chief Lombardo added that he is looking forward to working with the First Selectman’s Drug Prevention Task Force and noted that the plan will be comprehensive. “The Trumbull Police Department is fully committed to deterring and preventing our youth from becoming involved in drug usage. We are also one of very few police departments that have equipped each patrol officer with the drug Narcan, which can be administered to someone who is experiencing a drug overdose, in some cases reversing the effects of respiratory arrest. Trumbull EMS also carry Narcan,” stated Lombardo. “The Trumbull Police Department has a tip line for anonymous complaints relative to drug usage. Residents are reminded that they can also utilize the State's 211 information service line for resources regarding substance abuse. It is imperative that we as a community work together to educate and deter our youth from becoming drug dependent.”