MANCHESTER, NH – When Chief Nick Willard got a call last week from President Trump’s public affairs office, he figured it was related to the vital work he’s been doing with the National League of Cities City-County Opioid Task Force.
But the conversation took an unexpected turn.
“The first thing they asked me was if I was a Patriots fan,” says Willard. “It was the easiest question they’ve asked me – so far.”
A week later, Willard received his exclusive invitation to attend the April 19 Official White House Super Bowl 51 celebration.
“Of course. I’m absolutely going,” says Willard. “I want to shake the hand of the greatest coach in all the history of sports – not just football, but all sports.”
It’s no secret that Willard is a dedicated Patriots fan. Also no secret: Willard has been on President Trump’s radar ever since the two spent some quality time together when then candidate Trump visited Manchester Police headquarters back in February of 2016.
While the Patriots have made the trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before, this is the first time a Manchester Police Chief – or any New Hampshire law enforcement official – has made the guest list, as far as Willard knows.
“It’s really an honor for me. I was a little surprised, but I know President Trump has a great deal of respect for what law enforcement does, and especially what the men and women of MPD do as we navigate one of the worst opioid crises in the country,” says Willard. “He and I had the opportunity to talk about it when he came through the police station. We talked about just how deep the drug crisis was in New Hampshire, something that was relatively new to him at the time, and I was one of the first to impress on him how difficult this opioid epidemic was for our city.”
If all goes as planned, once the coveted hand-shake with Coach Bill Belichick is documented officially via Willard’s Twitter feed, Willard plans to mix business with pleasure by reconnecting with Jim Brooks, City Solutions Director for the National League of Cities, to continue the conversation they started as part of the 26-member national opioid task force.
“We’ve kept in touch, and we talk all the time about innovative ideas. As a task force, we’ve put a lot of effort into comprehensive ideas. I want to talk with Jim about Manchester Police Department’s ACERT program, and our fire department’s Safe Station initiative. To me these are two vital programs that have enhanced our city’s response to the opioid epidemic, and I’d like to see other cities be able to implement them, as well,” Willard says.
ACERT, for Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team, was launched in July of 2016 by the Manchester Police Department to aid children who have been exposed to violence, the first program of its kind. The program is funded by a three-year $150,000 grant from the HNH Foundation to Project LAUNCH (Linking Action for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health) at Manchester Community Health Center, in collaboration with the Manchester Police Department and YWCA New Hampshire
Safe Station is approaching it’s one-year anniversary, also an initiative unique to the city. It was developed by Manchester Fire Department’s Christopher Hickey, along with other city officials, which is being adopted by other New Hampshire cities based on its success in reducing overdose deaths and helping people enter the recovery process.
As part of the national conversation about the crippling effect of opioid addiction to cities and towns across the country, Willard says he’s been proud to relay Manchester’s inspirational story, including its innovative programs.
“I get a lot out of the experience of being part of the national task force, but more importantly, as Chief of Manchester Police Department, I get to share how we’ve come together as a community to try and correct those issues,” Willard says.
“I’m constantly in touch with our task force members working on materials we’re putting together, and they’ve gotten a lot out of my position, based on how we do business as a community – it’s unmatched across the country. I’d like to see these two programs get into the national summary report of city-county collaboration we’re working on,” says Willard, which will focus on community prevention and overdose response, effective treatment options, public safety enforcement and supply reduction.
Without losing perspective of what truly matters, Willard says he’s excited for the trip.
“If that’s the only thing I get to do, shake Bill Belichick’s hand, the whole trip will be worth it,” he says. “Even moreso than hoisting the Lombardi trophy into the air.”
