New Hampshire
Local police: Drug overdoses increasing faster in NH than anywhere else in the nation
The Granite State is no stranger to the opioid pandemic that has taken lives and devastated communities across America. In fact, data from the state medical examiner’s office final report for 2022 shows that fatal drug overdoses are increasing faster in New Hampshire than anywhere else in the United States. The nation saw a 0.5% increase in overdose deaths from 2021 to 2022, but for New Hampshire, the increase over that same time period was 14%.
According to the state medical examiner’s final report for 2022, 486 people died of a drug overdose, the highest number since 2017. These figures represent more than just data on a statewide crisis. Portsmouth law enforcement and first responders are on the receiving end of countless fatal and near fatal overdose emergency 911 calls. We respond to these crises and witness the tragic, real life consequences for those who battle with addiction, their loved ones, and their communities.
We have served the Portsmouth and Rochester communities for more than two decades on the front lines as law enforcement officers. We have watched the indiscriminate devastation that this crisis leaves in its wake as it takes the independence, and sometimes the lives of our neighbors. Addiction can feel hopeless, but Portsmouth and Rochester residents have done an exceptional job of supporting those who are struggling.
Community events like HCA Healthcare’s Crush the Crisis, which works in tandem with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, offers a safe place to dispose of unused or expired prescription medication while also providing educational resources on addiction to those searching for support.
During Crush the Crisis, which is held locally by Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Frisbie Memorial Hospital, the hopsitals partner with local law enforcement to collect tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana).
Portsmouth, Rochester and the surrounding communities are better off thanks to the combined efforts of our law enforcement officers and local heathcare heroes who have found ways to make their community safer and healthier beyond the hospital doors.
Events like Crush the Crisis forge the partnerships necessary in the community to promote the high quality of care available to those seeking treatment; together we can better educate, heal and overcome addiction and the consequences for all those afflicted by it.
Both hospitals also offer additional resources in the form of an outpatient adult Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and have behavioral health pods in their emergency departments, providing members of our community with access to care in a setting designed to best meet mental health needs and reduce ER wait times.
Those aren’t the only resources available to those looking to overcome addiction. The Seacoast Mental Health Center is a community leader in mental health and wellness. Their Substance Use Disorder Treatment is a valuable resource for those struggling with addiction and their loved ones because the path to recovery is one we walk together. Their 24/7 Behavioral Health Crisis Support through the NH Rapid Response Access Point is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—by phone, text or chat: 833-710-6477 or NH988.com.
There is no simple solution to the opioid crisis here in New Hampshire and across the country. However, as a community, we are saving lives by working together to ensure the resources, education, and recovery initiatives needed to help addicts and their families are available.
Dave Keaveny is captain of the Investigative Division for the Portsmouth Police Department. Todd Pinkham is captain of the Rochester Police Department.
A 33-year-old man was killed in a motorcycle crash in Bedford, New Hampshire, on Wednesday.
State police said they responded to a report of a motorcycle crash on the off-ramp from Raymond Wieczorek Drive onto South River Road in Bedford around 5:09 p.m. Wednesday.
Their preliminary investigation determined that Brandon G. Roy, of Nashua, was riding a 2020 Honda motorcycle on the off-ramp when he failed to negotiate a right-hand turn, lost control of the bike and crashed. The off-ramp was closed while the Bedford Fire Department attempted to provide life-saving measures. He was taken by ambulance to Elliot Hospital in Manchester, where he was pronounced dead.
The off-ramp reopened around 7:30 p.m. after state police completed their on-scene investigation. They were assisted by Bedford police and fire and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.
The crash remains under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Noah Brown at 603-223-4381 or noah.c.brown@dos.nh.gov.
Police shot and killed a man following an hourslong standoff at a historic bed and breakfast in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region early Thursday morning.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said in a 3 a.m. press release that they were responding to a report of a fatal police shooting that occurred early Thursday morning in Plymouth. They said an adult male was fatally shot at the Federal House Inn on Route 25.
The identity of the person who was shot is being withheld pending notification of family, the attorney general’s office said. An autopsy will be conducted by the chief medical examiner’s office.
The attorney general’s office said police responded to the area following a disturbance call at the inn on Wednesday afternoon. When they arrived, they found a man armed and barricaded inside.
No law enforcement officers were injured in the incident, according to authorities.
The name of the officers involved in the shooting and what agencies they were associated with have not been released and the exact circumstances remain under active investigation, the attorney general’s office said.
Plymouth police said in a Facebook post around 9 p.m. Wednesday that they responded around 2:40 p.m. to a report of shots fired with injury in the area of Route 25 and the traffic circle. They said the nearby Mountain Village Charter School and numerous surrounding businesses were placed in lockdown as a precaution, and all children have since been reunited with their families.
In a follow-up post at 3:50 a.m. Thursday, the department added that Route 25 from the traffic circle to Hawkenson Drive in Rumney remains closed. Motorists are urged to seek an alternate route.
New Hampshire State Police had provided several updates on the incident on social media on Wednesday night.
Their first post around 4 p.m. Wednesday said that state police troopers had responded to reports of shots fired and a barricaded subject on Route 25 in Plymouth near the traffic circle. They said the subject was contained and there was no threat to public safety.
Troopers have responded to reports of shots fired and a barricaded subject on Route 25 in the area of the Plymouth traffic circle. The subject is contained and there is no imminent threat to public safety. Please avoid the area. Additional updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/l6bMquvaJ0
— New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) November 6, 2024
In subsequent posts later in the evening, state police said the situation was “active and ongoing” and the road remained closed.
Police were in a standoff with a barricaded person near downtown Plymouth, New Hampshire, Tuesday evening and night.
People were urged to avoid the area of the Plymouth traffic circle because of the standoff on Route 25, New Hampshire Police said.
It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt, but police said the incident, while active, was contained.
#UPDATE: This situation remains active and ongoing, as Troopers work to bring it to a safe conclusion. Please continue to avoid the area. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of all area residents and visitors. https://t.co/qBIP7yUiQ2
— New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) November 7, 2024
Plymouth State University is near the town’s traffic circle, but there was no immediate indication the incident involved the school, which didn’t post any security alerts as of Wednesday night.
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