Sheriff Harran marks National Recovery Month
DOYLESTOWN, PA (September 3, 2025) – Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran released the following statement today recognizing September as National Recovery Month:
This September, we join communities across the nation to recognize National Recovery Month. It’s a time to celebrate the millions of Americans who have reclaimed their lives from addiction, and it’s a time to rededicate ourselves to the work of helping those who are still struggling.
Here in Bucks County, this work is not abstract — it is deeply personal. Last year, our community lost nearly 200 of our neighbors, friends, and family members to opioid overdoses. As your Sheriff, and as a law enforcement professional for nearly 40 years, I can tell you in no uncertain terms: we cannot arrest our way out of this crisis.
Our approach must be – and is – a comprehensive strategy of prevention, enforcement, and robust support for recovery.
We see that every single day when our law enforcement responds to an overdose. Their first priority isn’t to make an arrest; it’s to save a life. Every deputy in the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office carries and is trained to use Narcan. That training, and our partnership with the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, has resulted in over 1,520 police saves since 2015. Police embrace this role because we understand a fundamental truth: addiction is an illness, not a moral failing.
But saving a life is just the first step. The next is providing a pathway to get well. That’s the mission behind the innovative programs we’ve established right here in Bucks County.
That’s why I’ve dedicated my career to creating new pathways to recovery. We’ve launched three critical programs to divert people from jail cells to treatment:
- The Co-Responder Program: While serving as Director of Public Safety in Bensalem, our department piloted an initiative to embed social workers with police. Today, this program has expanded county-wide with ten responders who connect people to mental health and addiction services on the spot.
- Police Assisting in Recovery (BPAIR): Also born in Bensalem, this program is now used by 23 police departments to provide a “warm hand-off” directly into treatment.
- Justice Center Assessment Services: As Sheriff, I championed the creation of an in-house program right inside the Bucks County Justice Center to provide an immediate path to treatment for individuals right from the courthouse door.
So, this Recovery Month, let’s be clear: Recovery is possible. It’s happening right here in Bucks County. My office, and our partners in law enforcement across this county, remain steadfast in our commitment to disrupting the drug traffickers who bring poison into our communities, but we will be just as committed to supporting every single person on their journey to recovery.
Hope is real, and here in Bucks County, you are not alone.
Learn more about Sheriff Harran’s commitment to combating drugs and addiction HERE.
