BOSTON (AP) — A police chief in a small New England city combating its drug epidemic through a unique program that allows drug users to turn over their drugs and get immediate treatment said Tuesday that there’s been a strong early response.Gloucester police Chief Leonard Campanello said that 17 addicts abusing opioids like heroin, morphine and oxycodone have so far taken up the department’s offer to turn over their drugs and paraphernalia without fear of arrest — as long as they agree to enter treatment on the spot.He said while the number appears modest, it represents over three times the amount of people who have died of drug overdoses this year in the seaside community of about 29,000.The success in Gloucester has caught the attention of other communities, notably Boston where Mayor Marty Walsh said he’s considering adopting the policy for New England’s largest city. He called it a “great idea and a great pilot program.”Campanello said it’s time for this initiative to become more widespread. “We need to get people into treatment,” he said.