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Gloucester's ANGEL program gets more aggressive as overdoses rise

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — A unique approach to combating the heroin scourge is evolving in the city where it started two years ago.

Nearly 300 police departments across the nation have adopted the Gloucester police department's ANGEL program, which encourages addicts to turn in their drugs to police without fear of arrest in order to get fast-tracked for treatment.

But Gloucester Police Chief John McCarthy says the city is seeing more fatal overdoses than when the program began in June 2015.

MORE: Brockton creates plan similar to Gloucester's 'Angel' program 

That's prompted police and addiction counselors to begin more aggressive outreach.

They're handing out the overdose reversal drug Narcan to fishermen at risk of overdosing on the high seas. And they're visiting addicts in homeless shelters and other places they congregate rather than waiting for them to come to the department.

MORE: 58 people placed into addiction recovery through Gloucester's Angel Program