[August 26, 2015, Bel Air, MD] Sheriff Gahler is pleased to announce the HOPE for Harford workgroup is hosting a Town Hall meeting to discuss the devastating impact heroin has on our communities and the ones we love. All are invited to attend this meeting, hosted in partnership with Harford County Executive Barry Glassman.
The September 9th Town Hall meeting will take place on the campus of Harford Community College with doors to Darlington Hall opening at 6:00 pm, and the event starting at 6:30 pm. The HOPE workgroup has dedicated this Town Hall meeting to highlight Awareness, Education, and most importantly, to hear from the citizens of Harford County.
“I formed the HOPE workgroup early this year to understand the heroin problem in our community, and find new and inventive ways of stamping out heroin addiction. I am inspired by the progress the workgroup has made and applaud their dedication to this cause.” Sheriff Gahler continued, “The work can be exhausting, but they continue to push forward for the betterment of all citizens.”
Sheriff Gahler and County Executive Glassman will open the evening by providing an overview of the status of the epidemic and the work county agencies are undertaking to eradicate heroin from our communities. Next on the agenda, Joe Ryan, Director of the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, will provide an in depth look at heroin addiction.
Following Mr. Ryan’s presentation, we invite members of the community to speak freely about how heroin has impacted their lives and families. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the participants and audience. Those wishing to speak should register with Erik Robey, Director of Legislative and Community Affairs for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, at robeye@harfordsheriff.orgor by calling 443-567-7100.
The evening will conclude with a Q&A session to the panel of experts gathered together for the Town Hall Meeting. At this time, confirmed panel members are Harford County Sheriff Gahler; Harford County Executive Glassman; Beth Jones, Health Department; Captain Lee Dunbar, Harford County Task Force, Joe Ryan, Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy; and Barbara Canavan, Harford County Superintendent of Schools. Treatment providers and county agencies will be on hand with informative materials available for residents who wish to understand more about the services provided in the community.
“Many of us have known the private heartbreak brought on by heroin,” said County Executive Glassman. “As a community, it’s important that we come together to understand the problem and our efforts so far to address it. We know that there is no single solution, but by combining forces, we can better protect our children and our families from this terrible scourge.”
If you are unable to attend, but would like to hear these powerful messages, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office will live stream the event on Twitter, @Harford_Sheriff and post a recording of the meeting at www.harfordsheriff.org. Feel free to tweet us your questions for the panel beginning at 8:00 pm.