08/27/2026
Dear Saline Community,
This coming Saturday, August 29th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Saline Police Department will be at the Farmers Market to stand with our community in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day. I invite each of you to stop by, connect with us, and join this critical conversation.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is not a moral failing. It is a chronic, complex disease. The individuals struggling with this disease—and those we have tragically lost—are not strangers or statistics. They are our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends. Substance use does not exist in a vacuum; it deeply impacts entire families, friends, and communities who carry the weight alongside their loved ones.
Overcoming this crisis requires us to confront and reduce the stigma surrounding substance use. Stigma creates silence, and silence prevents people from seeking life-saving help. As a community, we must recognize that treating a disease with empathy, evidence-based tools, and medical care is the only path forward.
Throughout my career in law enforcement, this is a cause I have been deeply passionate about, and it is one I will never stand down on. During my time as commander with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, I led the charge alongside our administration to equip and train our deputies to carry and administer Narcan. By the time I retired from the Sheriff's Office, every police agency across Washtenaw County was carrying Narcan and actively saving lives.
Narcan is a vital harm-reduction tool. Equipping law enforcement and citizens with Narcan does not enable addiction; it enables survival. It gives a human being another chance at life and another opportunity to enter recovery.
I have witnessed this process full circle. I have seen an individual brought back from the brink of an overdose who went on to successfully enter recovery. The path to healing is rarely linear—relapses happen, but so does lasting recovery. Through both my professional and personal journeys alongside those in recovery, I have learned a profound truth: individuals who do the hard work of recovery are consistently among the most giving, forgiving, gracious, and supportive people I have ever met. They enrich our community in ways that deserve our respect and encouragement.
Saving lives and supporting our neighbors are fundamental duties of public safety. We cannot help someone recover if we lose them along the way.
Please join me at the Farmers Market this Saturday morning. Let us stand together, honor the lives lost, support families in need, and build a stronger, more compassionate Saline.
Sincerely,
Marlene Radzik
Chief of Police
Saline Police Department
