ORANGE, NJ — For Orange Police Captain Tangela Cummings, her job is to help her community. And now, this community says a big thank you. Cummings will receive the ADAPT Coalition Member of the Year award at an ADAPT dinner on Wednesday, May 4 at the Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove.
ADAPT, or Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team, is a coalition of people working to reduce underage drinking and drug abuse in Essex County. Its members include young people, parents, educators, police, addiction professionals, religious leaders, government officials and other concerned citizens.
“Captain. Cummings has been a dedicated public servant throughout her 22-year working life,” Joel Torres, senior director of ADAPT, told the Record-Transcript. “I had the honor of working with Captain Cummings many years ago when she was a lieutenant for the Orange Police Department. In every interaction with Captain Cummings, we were able to achieve programming which focuses on all Orange residents, particularly in programming related to youth and older adults. Prior to the pandemic, we collaborated on various efforts with local youth to reduce the risk of adults buying alcohol for minors. More recently, we have worked together on initiatives to expand the collection of old/unused prescription painkillers, particularly with Orange seniors. Last month, we collaborated on a town hall organized by Captain Cummings for the residents of Orange.The town hall raised awareness in the community about the risk of opioid use disorder, the risk of drug abuse prescription therapy by recently injured young athletes and alternative pain management approaches. These are just a few of the examples that show why Captain Cummings deserves this year’s award.
According to Torres, Cummings is also an active member of ADAPT’s Prescription Drug Committee, which focuses on planning and implementing strategies to reduce and prevent the misuse/misuse of prescription drugs in Essex County. She is also involved in the Brown Bag Event, in which ADAPT works with local law enforcement and pharmacists to visit seniors to educate them about prescription drug abuse/abuse, and in the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education Program, which is a six-week, evidence-based curriculum for seniors to teach them about healthy lifestyles and alternative approaches to pain management.
“My first introduction to the ADAPT Coalition was working together to organize an informative discussion with parents and students about the consequences of illicit drug use. During this project, it was essential to better provide parents with information to help them recognize the signs of drug use,” Cummings told the Record-Transcript, highlighting his recent work with the WISE program. “I hosted a Zoom call, which was comprised of members of the ADAPT Coalition, the Community Services Division of the OPD and managers of senior living facilities in Orange Township.
“In addition, my division oversees the collection and proper disposal of unused or expired medication throughout the city of Orange,” she continued. “National Medication Take Back (Prescription) Day, hosted by the DEA, will take place on Saturday, April 30 starting at 10 a.m. We are currently working in partnership with the Reach for Recovery Mobile Unit to educate our youth about health sex and substance abuse prevention.”
According to Cummings, ADAPT members really want to make a difference for seniors and youth in the community.
“Their dedication to keeping the public well-informed about prescription drug misuse…speaks volumes,” Cummings said. “I had the opportunity to observe (ADAPT coordinator) Hector Perez and (prevention specialist) Alexis Raymond during a WISE program session at a seniors facility in East Orange. They were passionate about how they were interacting with the elders. You knew it was more than a job. I hope the ADAPT Coalition continues to shed light in areas that might turn dark if they didn’t have options.”
In addition to seeing the impact of her colleagues in the community, Cummings has also had the chance to see the difference she makes.
“I started my journey in law enforcement 22 years ago. During that time, there were many occasions when I thought I had made a difference in someone’s life,” said Cummings said, “I have empathy and compassion for others. It’s shown throughout my journey. It could be a co-worker coming up to me and saying, ‘ I still remember when I arrived at work, how you encouraged me and told me I could do it. It could be when I answered a call for service when a high school student refused to leave. to school because she didn’t have the proper uniforms to wear and felt embarrassed After I answered the call I went to Forman Mills on Main Street and bought her three shirts polo-style shirt and three pairs of pants. It could just be the many Megan’s Law enrollees thanking me for not having them. to be judged and to have remained professional. It could be a missing minor who has been sent home safely and the sigh of relief on the face of the parent or person reporting. It could be the opportunities I had to talk to former Orange High School or Orange College students as adults; hearing them recall how I treated them or made them feel when I was a school resource officer lets me know that I had a positive impact on their lives. For that, I am grateful.
Torres praised Cummings for his dedication and willingness to go above and beyond for the community.
“Law enforcement partners, like Captain Cummings, are a tremendous resource to help with substance use prevention within communities, as they focus on innovative, community-driven strategies to find the root causes of the issues affecting our communities,” Torres said. “For example, we have worked closely with our law enforcement partners to expand the permanent prescription drug disposal sites located within the Essex County Police Department. Partners like Captain Cummings don’t stop there. They go out into the community to educate (residents) about the risks of medication misuse/abuse and meet them where they are to pick up old or unused medications. They are developing a just policing model to strengthen efforts by meeting people where they are, learning about the issues they face, and connecting them to services and resources to meet their needs. We have done much with partners like Captain Cummings over the past 10 years to expand restorative justice efforts and improve rehabilitation services for people with substance use disorders.
Orange officials agree with Torres that Cummings deserves the accolade.
“Captain. Tangela Cummings embodies the values of the Orange Police Service: integrity, professionalism and a passion for social justice,” said Police Chief Vincent Vitiello.
“Captain Cummings’ tireless efforts to combat drug and alcohol abuse have been recognized by ADAPT, an organization dedicated to reducing underage drug and alcohol use across Essex County. We’re all proud of her,” Police Superintendent Todd Warren said.
“Captain. Cummings has raised the bar for service in the cause of preventing drug and alcohol abuse in our community,” said Mayor Dwayne D. Warren. “We celebrate his service to our residents both as a member of our law enforcement and as a member of ADAPT.”
But Cummings was quick to shift some of the credit to his colleagues.
“I feel honored to be recognized for simply doing what I believe to be my job. Please keep in mind that nothing is done by me alone. The Community Services Division is small in number; however, we are a team. The work that is being recognized results from the support of Director Todd Warren and Chef Vincent Vitiello,” said Cummings. “In addition, collaborating with other groups with common goals, such as the ADAPT Coalition and Reach for Recovery, we will continue to pool our resources to develop new, innovative initiatives that meet the needs of the people of Orange Township.
“My first reaction on learning that I was this year’s recipient was simply a feeling of gratitude,” she continued. “Being able to be alongside some of this year’s recipients was amazing. The ultimate reward for me is to be part of the solution.
