For More Information Contact:
Michael A. Ellison - (845) 486-2103
Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson and members of local law enforcement have partnered with the Dutchess County Legislature to bring about Operation: Pill Purge. Operation: Pill Purge provides locations throughout Dutchess County for residents to dispose of unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals. It was officially launched in Red Hook and Pine Plains and continued the following week in Hyde Park collecting approximately 120 pounds of prescription drugs in just two weeks.
Dutchess County Legislature Chairman Robert Rolison said of the project, “Participation of the public is vital. The Operation puts the initiative in the hands of the citizens, and we hope that this will prove to yield successful results in the prescription drug problem ravaging Dutchess County.”
Ken Roman, Chairman of the Dutchess County Public Safety Committee and a Town of Poughkeepsie Police Officer, said, “Abuse of prescription medications is a serious problem. Most people do not want to just discard these expensive medications and so they are left lying around the house where they can end up in the wrong hands. It is best to take advantage of Operation: Pill Purge to appropriately and safely dispose of these unwanted pharmaceuticals.”
Angela E. Flesland, Assistant Majority Leader, worked closely with the Sheriff to get this program off the ground. She encourages residents to take advantage of Operation: Pill Purge at the following dates and locations:
Saturday, May 14:
• Lagrange Fire Department Station #2, 9am-11am Rt. 55, Lagrange
• Union Vale Fire Department Station #1, 12noon-2pm 3373 Rt. 82, Verbank
Saturday, May 21:
• Fishkill Fire Department Protection Engine Co. #1, 9am-11am 1132 Main St, Fishkill
• New Hackensack Fire Department, 12noon-2pm 217 Myers Corners Rd, Wappinger Falls
Saturday, May 28:
• Beekman Fire Department, 9am-11am 316 Beekman-Poughquag Rd, Poughquag
• Pawling Fire Department Station #1, 12noon-2pm South St, Pawling
Saturday, June 4:
• Arlington Fire Department Station #3, 9am-11am Vassar Rd, Poughkeepsie
• Poughkeepsie City Fire Department, 12noon-2pm Hooker Avenue Station, Poughkeepsie
Saturday, June 11:
• Millerton Fire Department, 9am-11am 24 Century Blvd, Millerton
• Amenia Fire Department, 12noon-2pm 36 Mechanic St, Amenia
Saturday, June 18:
• Dover Fire Department, 9am-11am J.H. Ketcham Hose Co., Station #1, Rt. 22, Dover Plains
• Millbrook Fire Department, 12noon-2pm 20 Front St, Millbrook
Saturday, June 25:
• Stanford Fire Department, 9am-11am, Rt. 82, Stanfordville
• West Clinton Fire Department Station #1, 12noon-2pm, 219 Hollow Rd, Staatsburg
“Operation: Pill Purge is a proactive program that will help prevent future crimes and even deaths. With just one pound of pharmaceuticals off the streets that hopefully will be one less call our emergency personnel will have to respond to of a person who abused these medications. I encourage everyone who has unwanted medications lying around their house to stop at one of the drop off sites for Operation: Purge,” concluded Flesland.
