U.S Attorney General Eric Holder called an increase in heroin overdoses nationwide an "urgent public health crisis" and suggested law enforcement carryNarcan, a drug that can reverse opiate overdoses. States like Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, already train first responders on Narcan. Currently Connecticut police don't carry it - paramedics and hospital staff administer the drug. A dramatic increase in drug overdose is a growing problem in the region but Hartford Police Department spokesman Deputy Chief Brian Foley believes Connecticut police officers carrying Narcan is a long way off .
Locked Treatment Facility for Girls to Open
A new, locked treatment facility for girls will open in Middletown this month with some questioning whether the state needs a second girl's detention center. Department of Children and Families (DCF) commissioner Joette Katz said the new facility will be for girls in DCF's care who are prone to violence, and have a history of running away from less restrictive treatment programs, putting themselves at great risk. Martha Stone, executive director of the Center for Children's Advocacy said the emphasis should be on treatment programs rather than incarceration, and questioned the logic of placing traumatized girls in a locked facility.
GOP Gubernatorial Race Changes
Wilton state Senator Toni Boucher has decided against seeking the Republican nomination for governor this year citing an inability to meet fundraising goals. On the same day, Attorney Martha Dean announced she has entered the race. Dean was the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Connecticut in both 2002 and 2010.
