Resources for Rural Law Enforcement

The United States is facing an epidemic of drug overdose deaths: More than 107,000 individuals died of a drug overdose in 2021¹. Sheriffs and law enforcement officers are on the frontlines responding to this public safety and public health emergency, as they are often the first responders on the scene of an overdose or the only resources families know to call when a loved one is in crisis. Many of the challenges in addressing America’s substance misuse crisis are exacerbated in rural communities, including limited access to treatment and services. NSA has gathered the resources on this webpage to support rural sheriffs in their fight against this epidemic.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2017-AR-BX-K003 awarded to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of IIR or of the U.S Department of Justice.