Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Deputies Use Special Software To Track Opioid Overdoses

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Peter Haden/WLRN
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

As an opioid epidemic tightens its grip on towns, cities, counties and states across the country, one Florida law enforcement agency is turning to tech to try to stem the tide locally and prevent the rise of heroin overdoses.

Earlier this year, the Collier County Sheriff's Office started using software to track fatal and non-fatal heroin overdoses. The goal is to create a real-time hot-spot map that shows first responders where the drug overdoses are occurring.

Nationwide, more than 145 agencies currently use the mapping program, but Collier County is the first in Florida.

The Naples Daily News reports the map will help deputies spot trends faster — like tainted drugs flooding certain areas.