Michigan State Police are joining a number of local police and health agencies using a federally created computer mapping system to track opioid overdoses. It provides a way for health officials and police agencies to respond in real time to overdose clusters. State Police Lieutenant Travis House says until now, if a batch of bad drugs hit the streets in a certain area, it might take them a while to notice the pattern.
“This software is set up in a way where it can give us an alert if we see a large spike in overdoses,” says House.
It depends on all agencies that respond to overdoses in an area feeding data into the system, and is only accessible by health officials and first responders. Lt. House says it may also help get dealers selling killer drugs off the streets. Earlier this month, the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office put out a warning regarding a spike in opioid overdose recoveries and deaths.
