Oxnard police distribute overdose rescue kits to homeless

OXNARD, Calif. -- Oxnard police officers began distributing overdose rescue kits to the city's unsheltered population in December as part of a new pilot program.

The police department's Homeless Liaison Unit partnered with Ventura County Behavioral Health to implement the new program called Project Leave Behind.

The new program is the first of its kind in Ventura County and is aimed at reducing fatal opioid overdoses in Oxnard, said police spokesman Paul Carganilla.

"The goal of the program is to save lives, reduce overdose rates, and provide resources to the population that is most vulnerable," he added.

Each rescue kit contains three doses of Narcan, a CPR shield, and educational information for county-wide drug addiction treatment and recovery resources.

The Homeless Liaison Unit distributed 50 overdose rescue kits to homeless individuals within the first month of the program, Carganilla said.

Overdose deaths have been rising across the country, and Oxnard is no exception.

The Oxnard Police Department received nearly 40% more overdose calls in 2021 when compared to 2019, according to Carganilla.

Of the 283 total overdose incidents the department responded to, 35 resulted in fatalities, he added.

After the pilot program is evaluated, overdose rescue kits will be given to Oxnard patrol officers and neighborhood policing teams.

The kits will be distributed at overdose calls for service, contacts with opioid/narcotic-dependent users, or family member and significant others of addicts who are likely to encounter a loved one suffering from an overdose, Carganilla said.