Police in Cooperstown, New York are urging addicts to bring their drugs and drug paraphernalia to the police station in exchange for treatment, not arrest.
Police Chief Mike Covert announced the new policy Friday on Facebook. He says it will go into effect on Thanksgiving.
Covert says addicts will each be assigned an "angel" to guide them through recovery.
He says a local hospital is promising that drug users who come forward will be able to receive treatment promptly.
Covert also is calling for Narcan, a drug that counteracts a heroin overdose, to be available over the counter. Narcan cannot be purchased without a prescription in New York.
Cooperstown is a village in central New York. It is best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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