Newark Police to Participate in the 27th National Take Back Initiative – Saturday October 26, 2024
On Saturday October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Newark Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Controlled, non-controlled, and over-the-counter medications will be accepted.
Bring your medications for disposal to the Newark Police Department at 220 South Main Street in Newark. The disposal site cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps – only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous – no questions asked.
This event is DEA’s 27th nationwide event since its inception more than 10 years ago. Over 18.5 million pounds have been collected since the inception of the program in 2010.
During the most recent Take Back event in the spring of 2024, more than 5,000 pounds of unwanted medications were collected in Delaware. Nationwide, over 670,000 pounds were collected at over 4,800 collection sites around the United States. Twenty-one other Delaware law enforcement agencies participated in the event, along with over 4,600 other law enforcement agencies nationwide.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
According to the DEA:
- Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.
- Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
- The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
- The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends —and the home medicine cabinet.
- Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
Sharps and syringes will NOT be accepted due to the potential hazards posed by blood-borne pathogens. Vape pens and other e-cigarette devices will only be accepted after the batteries have been removed. Newark PD is not responsible for removing the batteries.
For further information, visit DEATakeBack.com. The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here.
Bus driver being investigated for abandoning students at the wrong stop
On October 8, 2024, at approximately 4:14 P.M. the Newark Police Department was notified by staff at Newark Charter School and by New Castle County Police that they had received reports that a school bus driver had made students leave the bus and get out at a stop which was not their normal stop. Newark Charter School staff, New Castle County Police and Newark Police immediately responded to the bus stop, located in the Robscott Manor neighborhood, which is located just outside the City of Newark. Approximately 10 (ten) Kindergarten through 5th grade students were found at the bus stop. All of the students were reportedly in good health. The cooperative efforts between Newark Charter School, the Newark Police Department and its law enforcement partners ensured the safe reunification of all of the students with their guardians.
The bus was located with the assistance of Delaware State Police and no additional students were found on the bus. Through investigative efforts, the bus driver has been identified and will no longer be driving the school bus for the school bus company or Newark Charter Schools.
This is an ongoing investigation in which Newark Charter School is fully cooperating. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Corporal Pagnotti at (302) 366-7100 x. 3406 or apagnotti@newark.de.us or Corporal Graber at (302) 366-7100 x.3436 or ngraber@newark.de.us. Additional methods for providing information to Newark Police can be found on our tips page, where reward information may also be available.
