YORK COUNTY — Biddeford and Sanford are two of four southern Maine communities to receive grants from the Maine Department of Public Safety to establish substance abuse assistance programs in their communities.

The two cities, along with Portland and Westbrook, will share $1 million in funding from the MDPS to establish programs to help those who have substance abuse problems or addiction issues on the road to recovery, it was announced Thursday.

The grants are established under 2015 PL C. 481 and are intended to provide municipalities with the funds to carry out programs to reduce substance abuse and its related crimes and instances of recidivism, according to the grants’ request for proposal.

The department sought to award funding for four projects in two groups: one for municipal or county governments to divert addicts into community-based treatment and support services, and another to help county or regional jails in assisting persons with substance abuse disorders.

Applications for the grants were due Aug. 5.

Biddeford City Manager Jim Bennett said Thursday the city had submitted a joint proposal with Saco, but was unavailable for comment regarding specifics of the proposed program.

Sanford and the Sanford Police Department submitted a joint proposal to fund a medication-assisted Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program in cooperation with Maine Behavioral Health. As part of that program, 13 trained police officers will treat 30 addicts each year through daily therapy in combination with prescription buprenorphine, in addition to outpatient therapy.

Sanford Police Chief Thomas Connolly said he doesn’t yet know how much his department will receive in funds – having requested $120,000 to start the intense program – but was excited to hear the news.

“I think the program we’re proposing is very exciting. You have an idea, and you think it might work … now we’ll get to see if it works,” Connolly said Friday.

The program is unique, Connolly said, because it helps give addicts who actively want to seek help access to the treatment they need.

“You hear about how everybody has a program. No program that tries to help people who are addicted is wrong, but sending people down to Florida for 30 days for drug treatment, then saying, ‘OK, bye, you’re cured .. that doesn’t work,” Connolly said. “What works is evidence-based treatment – community-based, evidence based treatment.”

Connolly said the idea has been in the works for more than a year. If the program goes well, he is hoping its format could be picked up and used by more law enforcement agencies.

“This is a new thing and I’m dying to see it because, in my opinion, if it works this could be a classic model for police agencies,” Connolly said. “(Police are) already out there in the community and if you know people are using, you have the skills to be able to talk to them and direct them in a good decision-making process.”

Connolly expects to know how much money Sanford has been awarded when the municipalities formally sign their contacts with the MDPS.

The cities are anticipated to sign contracts beginning Oct. 1 and ending June 30, 2018.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.