09/01/2026
Opinion: Before the Handcuffs, There’s a Hand
By Sheriff James Quattrone, Chautauqua County Sheriff
Every week, sheriffs and deputies encounter people and families affected by substance use disorder.
We see it in homes. We see it on patrol. We see it in emergency calls, in the jail and in the courts. Behind many of those calls is a person in crisis, a family under strain and a community looking for answers.
As sheriff of Chautauqua County, I have seen what substance use disorder does to people, families and entire communities. I have also seen something else: many people do not know where to turn until the crisis has already reached law enforcement.
More than half of those who come through our jail are struggling with substance use disorder or mental health challenges. That does not mean every answer starts with an arrest. Sheriffs have a duty to enforce the law and protect the public. We also know that public safety improves when people and families get accurate information before a crisis becomes an overdose, an emergency call or a jail booking.
This is not about blame. It is not about failure. Substance use disorder is a health condition. Prevention works. Treatment is effective. Recovery is possible.
The numbers show why this message matters. Nearly 80,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2024, according to CDC data. More than 91 percent of drug overdose deaths were unintentional. That means prevention, education and early response are not side issues. They are lifesaving work.
Treatment also remains a major challenge. According to SAMHSA data, more than 52 million Americans age 12 or older needed substance use disorder treatment in 2024, but only about one in five people who needed treatment received it.
Those numbers are national, but the impact is local. In every county, substance use disorder affects families, children, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and public safety. One overdose call affects parents, spouses, children, friends, deputies, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, doctors and neighbors. The ripple moves through the whole community.
That is why I recently joined sheriffs from across the country to record a public service announcement through a national campaign led by the National Sheriffs’ Association. The goal is simple: give people clear information before the crisis escalates.
Prevention gives people information and training before a crisis becomes an emergency.
Treatment connects people with evidence-based care, including medications for substance use disorder.
Recovery helps people rebuild their lives through coaching, peer support and services in communities, healthcare settings and correctional facilities.
Law enforcement cannot solve this crisis alone. Healthcare cannot solve it alone. Courts and corrections cannot solve it alone. Families should not have to carry it alone.
Communities make progress when public safety, healthcare, treatment, recovery, courts, corrections, schools, faith leaders and local organizations work together. Better collaboration can reduce recidivism, keep communities safe and help individuals stay healthy.
In Chautauqua County, we want people to know they do not have to wait until the worst day of their lives to ask for help.
If you are a parent, talk with your children. If you are a friend, check on the people you care about. If you are an employer, know where to point someone who needs help. If you are part of a church, school, civic group or local organization, help share accurate information.
And if you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder, you are not alone.
Learn the signs. Support prevention. Support treatment. Support recovery.
Before the handcuffs, there’s a hand.
