Needle exchange program under investigation

Charleston police are investigating a non-profit group that is conducting a needle exchange as part of what it calls a “street outreach” program. The group is called SOAR, which stands for “Solutions Oriented Addiction Response.” The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department shut down its needle exchange program two years ago, and a city ordinance gives Charleston Police the authority to approve a needle exchange program. Something Police Chief Tyke Hunt says he has not authorized.