Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper Chatham Police Chief Peter Volkmann recently announced that the Chatham Cares 4 U program has helped 41 people find treatment so far. The program assigns police officers to find treatment beds for people with addiction and then transports the addicted people to a treatment center. Chatham Cares 4 U is run by the part-time police force and volunteers called angels. Volkmann is funding the program through the village police force budget, but the department is accepting donations. Chatham Cares 4 U is modeled on a similar program in Gloucester, Massachusetts; it is the only effort of its kind in Columbia County and one of only a few in New York. Participants can surrender any drugs or drug paraphernalia, which are marked by police for destruction and the participant is not criminally charged. Volkmann can be reached at the Chatham Police Department at 518 392 3451. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.