Crime & Safety
Medication Drop Box in Place
The Simsbury Police Department has a free, anonymous and easy way to dispose of unused and expired medication.
The wants to inform residents that there is now a medication drop box installed in the lobby of the police department.
“Many thanks to Chief (Peter) Ingvertsen and the Simsbury Police Department for their initiative in providing this service to our residents at no cost to our taxpayers," said First Selectman Mary Glassman. "Keeping our residents safe is our top priority and this program goes a long way by allowing our residents to safely remove unwanted prescriptions from medicine cabinets and homes throughout our town.”
The medication disposal program allows for a safe and secure way for residents to dispose of expired, unwanted or unused medications 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Residents may drop any type of medication in the drop box and they may remain anonymous. You can drop it off as is or remove the identifying material before dropping off the medication, cross out the name on the bottle or use the pen provided by the drop box. There are plastic bags for liquids.
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The police department took the initiative to apply for the program through the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The roughly $1,000 cost is funded through the DEA’s Drug Asset Forfeiture Fund and there is no cost to the town taxpayer now or in the future.
The medication drop box is a large green metal box in the lobby of the police department. It is bolted to the floor by the dispatch window. Once placed in the box it cannot be retrieved. The area is also under 24-hour camera surveillance.
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There are some medications that can be very dangerous if taken accidentally, even in small quantities. Many medications can be harmful to the environment if disposed improperly. The purpose of this program is to protect the environment from improper disposal of medications, to prevent someone from accidentally taking medication and to prevent the illicit use of these drugs.
Chief Ingvertsen wants residents to know that “my department feels fortunate to be able to provide such a valuable service to the residents of Simsbury and is hopeful that the medication drop box will be heavily utilized.”
Once full, the box is emptied by two department members — for verification purposes — and is burned.
For information about the medication disposal program, contact Lieutenant Fred Sifodaskalakis at 860-658-3107.
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