Sheriff Coppinger releases 2019 Annual Report for Essex County Sheriff's Department
To read the full Annual Report, click here
MIDDLETON – Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger has released his second annual report, detailing the activities and accomplishments of the Sheriff’s Department in 2019.
“As a law enforcement agency serving 34 communities, I feel it’s important to keep residents abreast of the good work being done by our department. This annual report provides insight into the great efforts we put forth each and every day to keep people safe and to help those that have strayed become productive, successful members of our communities,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “It’s also about being transparent in how we spend taxpayers’ dollars to make a difference in Essex County. I am proud of my employees and the quality service we provided in 2019.”
New in 2019 was the introduction of the department’s Medication Assisted Treatment program, also known as MAT. This pilot program helps those with substance abuse disorders who are entering department facilities continue their medication assisted treatment to aid in their recovery. The program launched in September 2019 and by the end of the year, almost 7,000 doses of Subutex, Methadone and Naltrexone were distributed.
“This ground-breaking program has proven to be a great tool in tackling the opioid crisis that has gripped our communities. Its success is now being modeled by other jails across this country,” Sheriff Coppinger said.
The Department also partnered with Northern Essex Community College (NECC) to provide classes to those in our Middleton, Lawrence, and Women in Transition program in Salisbury. Among the classes offered are HiSet high school equivalency, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Computer classes, and Transition to College which allows individuals with the high school diploma or equivalent to take college courses with transferable credits to both NECC and Merrimack College.
A new path to career training was also launched in 2019. The Hardscape Program is a partnership with the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical High School to train individuals in the basics on masonry for construction and landscaping. Each student graduating the program receives an industry-recognized credential from the New England Concrete Manufacturers Association and an OSHA certificate.
“Our role as a corrections facility is to help those who come to us leave us on a better path by providing them the tools to make a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of others,” Sheriff Coppinger said. “Partnerships like the ones we have with Essex North Shore, Northern Essex and Merrimack College are critical pieces of our rehabilitation efforts and I thank them for their continued support.
The annual report also provides data-driven details about the department’s programs and work. An electronic copy of the annual report is available at www.EssexSheriffMa.org. For a printed copy of the report, please contact Public Information Officer Gretchen Grosky (978) 750-1900 ext. 3361 or email her at ggrosky@EssexSheriffMa.org.