Charleston Police to invest in software, hire staff for opioid crisis

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Police Department is looking to hire new coordinators and invest thousands of dollars in software to help respond to the ongoing opioid crisis in the Lowcountry.

The department’s opioid response and prevention program is starting to get into gear, and soon, they may have more tools and staff to address opioids in the Lowcountry.

Charleston City Council approved receiving $900,000 over three years from the U.S. Department of Justice for the Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant and Substance Site-based Program in January.

With this prevention and response program, the department says they’re looking to hire a project leader and two coordinators who will respond whenever an opioid incident occurs.

Along with that, the department has put out a request for proposal for software to help track opioid incidents around the Lowcountry.

Lt. Patrick McLaughlin says the software will help improve coordination between agencies to get help faster to those in need.

“We’d like the ability to have a situation, you input the incident, and then, if that person went to the hospital and got back out, and another agency got back out with them that same night, we would want that to be in this software,” McLaughlin said. “The goal would be more real-time tracking.”

The procurement period for the software runs until May 26, and McLaughlin says based on other similar programs around the country, it could cost anywhere between $10,000 and $100,000 to obtain.

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