The COPS Office is pleased to feature the Overland Park (Kansas) Police Department as a winner of the 2025 Community Policing in Action Photo Contest.

It’s easy to see why the gentleman in the photo approached Sergeant Stewart Brought outside the Overland Park Police Department (OPPD) community resource van and asked Officer Deion Coleman for assistance. Covered in decals highlighting the wide range of resources available inside, the Overland Park Crisis Action Team’s (OPCAT) colorful new mobile unit has drawn attention and praise throughout this city in Johnson County, Kansas.

Supported by a grant from Kansas Fights Addiction and working in partnership with the Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC), the OPCAT van has been on the road since August 2024, providing critical information and connection to addiction prevention and support services as well as immediate intervention in mental health and drug-related crises.

The OPCAT unit operates in the Community Oriented Policing Section (COPS) of OPPD’s Antioch Operations Division, currently staffed by five full-time OPPD Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers and five licensed JCMHC co-responders.

In addition to expanding public awareness of the drug overdose epidemic and the state/local resources that are available to counter it, the OPCAT van can be used to distribute mental health and substance abuse resources anywhere in the city. The OPCAT team also provides prevention programming, much of it done in partnership with substance use disorder professionals and behavioral health providers.

Delivering Narcan and Critical Resources

Explaining the concept behind the purchase of the van, Sgt. Brought, who supervises the OPCAT Unit, said “We wanted to be proactive in delivering addiction prevention and support resources to our community in the most effective way, by actually going out into the community with an attractive, non-intimidating vehicle staffed with CIT officers and professional mental health co-responders.”

To this end, OPCAT used grant funding to acquire the van and wrap it with a vinyl design showcasing the OPCAT logo, a resource hotline number, informational resources, and a photo of the unit’s Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) K9, Haven.

The OPCAT team stocks the van not only with flyers and brochures, but critical supplies, such as Narcan, a drug which reverses opioid overdose; fentanyl test strips; lockboxes for medication security; and Deterra for unused medication disposal.

To highlight warning signs of substance abuse disorders and provide other important information, they mount flyers and brochures provided by JCMHC to the side of the van, so people can easily access them. To show instructional or educational programs, an out-facing video screen was installed.

Said Sgt. Brought, “We’ve been doing a lot of community presentations and outreach for a long time, but we wanted a way to have these resources ready to go, and as many as needed, available in a mobile one-stop shop environment. People like the gentleman seen in the photograph come up to us now and ask to see what we have. The colorful signage intrigues them.”

Expanding Access and Reducing Stigma

For the past seven months, this attention-getting van and the CIT specialists and co-responders who staff it have attended many community events and presentations throughout Overland Park, including National Night Out, the department’s No Drugs-All Treats Trunk or Treat event, and Friends of First Responders.

“An additional benefit of using this van, and a huge one, is that it not only makes intervention and prevention accessible, but it reduces the stigma associated with substance use disorders, which is a significant hurdle in the journey to overcome addiction,” added Brought.

“No matter what their socioeconomic background, whether they are well off or struggling financially, people fear being labeled or ostracized for seeking addiction treatment. It carries a stigma that acts as a barrier to access and recovery.

“By going out on the road and offering supplies and information to everyone, not just those in immediate crisis, we can distribute resources without stigmatizing individuals for seeking the support they need.”

Responding to Crises with a Trauma-Informed Approach

OPCAT also responds to calls for service, has Narcan on hand, and can administer it on site. “Our department has seen an uptick in requests for it, usually in response to news of an overdose. We give out Narcan for free and can teach people how to administer it. Our staff is certified to provide instruction, and we can play a video on the screen outside the van to demonstrate proper procedure.

“Another item we give out is Deterra drug disposal pouches, which makes unused medications non-consumable, and lockboxes for pills, keys, or other items that need to be secured.”

Stressing that the OPCAT unit takes a trauma-informed approach to all drug and mental health interventions, Sgt. Brought said, “Our goal as CIT specialists is to minimize police action and deescalate situations.

“Our van’s design is more approachable, and our vehicles are unmarked. Most people don’t want to get into the back of what is obviously a police car to go to the hospital or a shelter. And, though we are identifiable as police officers, our dress is subdued and not the typical police uniform, which lowers anxiety. We wear a blue polo with an OPPD logo, the duty belt, and brown pants.”

When submitting the photo at the top to the COPS Office Community Policing in Action Photo Contest, OPPD Captain Tirsa Otero said, “It represents community policing in action because we as a department and unit support a culture and practice of policing that reflects the values of protection and promotion of the dignity of all.”

By bringing resources directly to those in need, eliminating barriers, reducing stigma, and ensuring quick and convenient access, the OPCAT van is not only on the road to reduce drug addiction but to strengthen relationships and build trust with all the people of Overland Park.

Photo courtesy of the Overland Park (Kansas) Police Department.

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