Local law enforcement is teaming up to fight drug abuse.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Lexington One Community Coalition Task Force have partnered to make drug, alcohol and other support services easier to find.

Dr. Pam Imm, chairperson of the LOCC Task Force, presented Sheriff Jay Koon with newly designed and printed resource cards.

The cards allow officers to easily share contact information with those who may need support services for alcohol and drug misuse, mental health concerns, child abuse, and other issues.

The cards are funded by a grant given to the Lexington Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council (LRADAC) from the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services.

The grant funding was awarded to support strategies and programs that focus on preventing and reducing opioid overdoses, including providing an easy-to-use resource for accessing community-based support services.

Imm said that Sheriff Koon was one of the first people she contacted to identify specific needs in Lexington.

Officers are trained to notice indicators of potential problems when they are in homes that may raise their concern about the health and safety of family members.

“We heard from officers that they wanted to be able to leave specific information with families who might be struggling,” said Imm.

They wanted Lexington families to have resources at their fingertips so they can access high-quality services for themselves or their loved ones.”

Access to support resources is particularly important now.

Lexington County has seen a spike in fatal and non-fatal overdoses since March when covid-19 first began to impact the community.