Det. Matthew Charles

Detective Charles is a 10-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department. He currently serves the Department as a member of the Heroin Overdose Response Team (HORT), as a Narcotics Overdose Investigator. Detective Charles hails from the capital city of Little Rock, Arkansas; coming to Memphis, Tennessee to attend undergrad at Christian Brothers University. Charles graduated from CBU with a Bachelor of Science in Biology & minor in Chemistry. Prior to joining MPD, Detective Charles worked as a student researcher at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Detective Charles has acquired other certifications during his career at Memphis Police Department. Those certifications included Crisis Intervention Team, Traffic Reconstruction School, Patrol Rifle Certification, Emergency Narcotics Operations, and others.
When Detective Charles is not serving the great community of Memphis, he enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and Golden Labrador. Detective Charles also enjoy watching motorsports especially Formula 1 racing, soccer, cooking and gaming.

session summary: This informational session will provide an overview of current overdose trends in the Memphis area. It will include insights into the types of narcotics frequently encountered by overdose investigators—such as opioids, fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine—and how Memphis Police Officers interact with these substances in their daily work. The goal of the presentation is to inform and educate attendees about the evolving patterns observed by the Memphis Police Department.

learning objectives
Provide an overview of the public health crisis caused by fentanyl overdoses.
Present statistics highlighting the rise in fentanyl use.
Educate attendees on the signs and symptoms of fentanyl use and appropriate actions to take during an overdose.
Explain the role of law enforcement—particularly the Memphis Police Department—in responding to the overdose crisis.