Belmont Police Department Web Site

2014-04-03

Chief Lewandoski and the Belmont Police Department, through the efforts of Sgt Adam C. Hawkins and Adam St. Hilaire, have developed an extensive website providing a wealth of information about the department and police-related issues.

Belmont Police Department Prescription Collection Box

2015-06-10

The Belmont Police Department is a one of growing number of police departments across the U.S. that have added a prescription drug drop-off box to allow people to safely and properly dispose of expired or unneeded drugs.

Through a donation from CVS the drop off box came into service with no cost. Pharmacies are not allowed to take back certain drugs, such as pain relievers and stimulants, because they are controlled substances. Take-back days hosted by the Drug Enforcement Administration are held occasionally and were only on a certain day within that year. That was the only way people in Belmont could dispose of narcotic substances properly.

Our major concern was that our residents felt they only had one of two options for medication disposal, throwing them away or flushing them. Improperly disposed of prescription drugs can be can be a major problem. The common concern with people flushing old prescriptions down the toilet is one of the worst ways of disposal. Some of those drugs could eventually end up back in the water supply. Throwing a bottle away does not always mean it is assured of destruction.

A situation in Belmont earlier this year drew our attention to this issue when drugs left in a home ended up in the wrong hands and a child who after ingesting them was rushed to the hospital and later transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock for complications of the overdose. The child eventually recovered but it was a long and stressful event for the family.

The Belmont Police Department already has a drug collection program in place but it was coordinated with the national D.E.A collection effort and only saw us doing a collection of unwanted drugs on that one designated day of the year. That meant residents were holding dangerous drugs in their homes for up to eleven months in some cases waiting to get rid of them.

The Belmont Police Department met the multi pronged requirements to apply for a prescription drop off box: The location must be accessible to the public; the agency must already have had the means of disposing of drugs and the box must be kept in a secure area (our lobby).

Now that we have a permanent collection box our residents have the ability to dispose of medications locally as the need arises.

Residents can drop off unwanted medications without question in the lobby of the police station Monday thru Friday 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

No liquid medications or needles can be accepted in the drop off box.

The Belmont Fire Department can assist with needle collection and disposal if necessary.

If you have any questions about medication disposal please feel free to call us at the Belmont Police Department 267-8350.