COLUMBUS, OH (WTOL) - Law enforcement agencies from across the state met in Columbus Tuesday to talk about the drug epidemic.
Members of the Lucas County Sheriff's Office were there too.
Sheriff John Tharp says other communities in Ohio have adopted the concept of the Lucas County Drug Abuse Response Team or DART.
The DART program works to assist addicts in the recovery process, as opposed to just arresting them.
Sheriff Tharp says it's a great to see, but he learned plenty of things as well.
He says he plans to bring those ideas back to our area.
For example, setting up a program that gives senior citizens a lock box to stop their pills from getting stolen.
Also, working with the health department to share addiction information around the community, like in restaurants.
"By coming to these types of conferences is that it truly inspires you to continue doing what you're doing cause it's the right thing," said
Tharp. "And we see that other people that are picking up the pace as well, and we can learn about some of the things that they're doing."
Sheriff Tharp says the conference was put on Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.
