Good morning. The Fayetteville City Council is allocating $163,800 of its opioid settlement funds toward a new training initiative for police officers, marking the latest investment in the city’s multi-year strategy to address the opioid crisis.
The funds, approved in early November, will support the Fayetteville State University Operational Readiness for Police Officers Course: a four-hour, online, self-paced training designed to equip Fayetteville police officers with practical strategies for responding to individuals affected by opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. The course emphasizes de-escalation, connection to services, and increased referrals to the city’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, reports Rachel Heimann Mercader.
North Carolina has helped negotiate more than $50 billion in national settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, with the city of Fayetteville projected to receive $3.74 million in settlement funds through 2038. Read our lead story for more.
Welcome to CityView Today. Since 2022, opioid settlement funds in Cumberland County and Fayetteville have paid for naloxone kits, criminal justice diversion programs, recovery support services, and more. In today’s newsletter, we dove into the county and city’s spending as part of a statewide project with The Assembly; check out the breakdown below. Plus, rural North Carolina has been devastated by opioid addiction since the rise of prescription painkillers in the 1990s. While the number of people dying from drug overdoses in the state has decreased significantly in recent years, researchers and public health officials say federal funding cuts and statewide slashes to Medicaid could undo the progress that’s been made to combat the opioid epidemic.
Thanks for reading,
Maydha Devarajan
Editor-in-Chief
Fayetteville Allocates $163K in Opioid Settlement Funds for Police Training
The training is part of a broader effort to use opioid settlement funds to mitigate the damage caused by the opioid epidemic.
More from CityView
How Cumberland County and Fayetteville are Spending Opioid Settlement Dollars
Cumberland County and Fayetteville together will receive over $36 million in national opioid settlement funds through 2038.
How Rural N.C. Lowered Overdose Deaths—But Will Struggle to Keep Pace
From The Assembly: After years of fighting rising rates of overdoses, communities are finally reversing the trend. Now they face dramatic funding cuts that could undo the progress.
Events
INTERNET BASICS
- Where: East Regional Branch Library, 4809 Clinton Road, Fayetteville
- When: 10-11:30 a.m. today
- What: Join the library’s Digital Navigators and learn the basics of using the internet, including what a search engine is, where to find hyperlinks, how to use search recommendations and more.
PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA
- Where: Cross Creek Mall, 419 Cross Creek Mall, Fayetteville
- When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. today
- What: Embrace the holiday spirit and create cherished memories with your loved ones, including your adorable pets, by visiting Santa!
HANGING WITH THE HIGHLANDS AT SWEET VALLEY RANCH
- Where: Sweet Valley Ranch, 2990 Sunnyside School Road, Fayetteville
- When: 10 a.m.-noon today
- What: Step into the pasture and meet the stars of the farm—our majestic Highland cows!
Obituaries
Phillip Blackmon Harris Sr.
Phillip Blackmon Harris Sr. passed away on Monday, November 17.
Jacquelyn Thompson
Jacquelyn Thompson passed away on Monday, November 17.
Charles Alexander Dixon III
Charles Alexander Dixon III passed away on Sunday, November 16.
Until tomorrow!
🥘 Do you have any specialties for Thanksgiving? I’m on the lookout for some new recipes to make for my British relatives spending the holiday with us. Let me know if you have a favorite dish I need to make.
~ Maydha
