Capt. Jason Gray of the St. Johnsbury Police Department met with a female drug user
In October of 2023, Capt. Jason Gray of the St. Johnsbury Police Department met with a female drug user on Harrison Avenue. He went there for a reported fight and met the woman on the street. She was carrying a couple of bags – one of which had lots of drug paraphernalia in it, including a crack pipe and a methamphetamine pipe. Capt. Gray asked her “Where did you get this from?” She said “So you know where the BAART clinic is?” “You know the brick building next to it? I don’t know what it’s called. You walk in and they have boxes. There’s boxes filled with needles…And then they have a dispensary there so you can throw your dirty needles away.” She said “This is a razor to cut crack.” “These are straws…They give you free Chore Boy, a crack pipe…They have a whole wall full of boxes of the same needles. Everything’s free.” The brick building next to the BAART clinic is “Vermont Cares,” which had a sign in front on Tuesday saying, “WE ARE OPEN. COME ON IN!” On the back of the sign, it said “free services,” including syringe access, sharps disposal, Narcan, safer use supplies, drug checking, case management, and a mobile app. The Vermont Cares mobile app includes a chat function with Vermont Cares staff in which drug users can make an appointment – privately. The St. Johsbury Police Department searched a car and produced an item with the Vermont Cares logo on it. Police said it was a tiny mirror to snort cocaine from, a crack pipe, a razor blade, straws and a cleaner for the crack pipe. The BAART clinic is an opioid addiction clinic located at 1097 Hospital Drive in St. Johnsbury. It deals with treatment for drug addicts.