On Saturday, Sept. 26, the New College Campus Police once again participated in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and encouraged members of Sarasota and Manatee County to anonymously drop off potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for safe disposal.

“What we set out to do is take back this medication and dispose of it in a safe manner,” Chief of Police Michael Kessie said.  

The NCPD started participating in the event in conjunction with many local agencies.  When medication is brought in, they seal it up and give it to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA sends officials to gather up the medicine, and they dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner.

“There’s no questions asked, people come in and they just drop it off, and we take it,” Kessie said.

The NCPD has participated in the program biannually since 2011, and now also has an on-site prescription take-back container where community members can bring in prescription medicine at any time of the year.  

“Before we got this drop-box, if we got a call on the phone, we usually refer them to the sheriff’s department or the city police because they have had those boxes longer than us,” Kessie said. “But now what we do is they can bring it in, they drop it in there, and they’re good to go.”

The box can be found in the lobby of the Campus Police Department and is clearly labeled with what can be put inside it.  

“We do what we can…contrary to what I think some students really feel here, we are concerned about the students,” Kessie said. “If you take this job and you don’t care about the students then I don’t want you here. We really are concerned about the students, it’s why we work here.”