The Rochester Police Department has teamed up with a program to help people with addiction problems, Police Chief Paul McGee announced at Monday’s Selectmen meeting. The outreach program will work with the department to offer immediate access to treatment beds to people within 24 hours of their release from the hospital after an overdose.

“It’s next to impossible to get a treatment bed without a wait normally,” McGee said. “With this program, 80 percent of the time we will be able to get that person one immediately.”

The country has been struck by an opiate epidemic as communities across the nation have seen a rise in overdose statistics, and Rochester hasn’t been immune.

“Our numbers might not be as high as other communities, but even one is too many,” McGee said.

The department officially started its partnership with the program on Nov. 1, and McGee said they have already had to use it.

“We have had great success so far though,” he said. “It’s a wonderful thing to be able to offer people who need help.”

McGee also announced a new addition to the Police Station. After Riley Nordahl redid the landscaping in front of the station in October as part of an Eagle Scout project, McGee saw the opportunity to add a memorial for a former police chief.

Nordahl put in a bench in front of the building and McGee plans to put a plaque on it honor former chief Elmer Lawrence, who died in 2007.

“There were donations made to the Police Department when he died to be used for a memorial,” McGee said. “This project gave us a good opportunity to make a memorial in his name.”

Also at the Selectmen meeting, the board gave Nordahl his scout recognition for completing the project at the Police Station.

In other news:

Rochester has agreed to terms for the three electrical vehicles it is receiving through funding from a state grant. The vehicles will be Kia Souls. The charging stations will be installed at the Town Hall by the end of the week and the cars could be in town as early as next Monday.