ENGAGING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT: PREVENTION, MONITORING AND RESPONSEBasha Silverman, Brandywine Counseling & Community Services

Background Law enforcement practices are a well-

known risk factor for IDUs Deter uptake of preventative services (e.g.

NEP) Deter summoning of emergency response

to OD Force injectors to locations poorly suited for

hygienic injection Increase improperly discarded syringes Deter uptake of health services

Background Typically, negative health impacts are

unintended Police are ‘just doing their job’ Police are often unaware of existing laws Police see drug use through the lens of

criminality, not health, trained to treat drug users as criminals, not people

Police are often unaware of evidence behind HR

Background Public health professionals typically fail to

identify and address the needs of law enforcement in planning and implementation of harm reduction programs

Syringe access is good for everyone in the community, including law enforcement

Efforts to reduce the health consequences of drug use need not conflict with the goals of reducing street crime and enhancing public order

Successful integration with law enforcement is an essential element of successful NEP operation

Law Enforcement/Public Heath• Same Objectives, different approach

– Same: Safety, security, and cost-effectiveness– Different: criminalization vs. treatment and

harm reduction• Cultural, political and language gap

– Mistrust and antagonism– Many HR organizations have no (or negative)

relationship with the police• Institutional competition for public

resources

Harm Reduction and Police?• Harm Reduction as applied to police:

– High level of job-related needle-stick injuries

– Very high levels of anxiety over NSI– Danger contributes to dislike of IDUs– Opportunity for HR orgs to reach out to

police

Prevention, Monitoring and Response Forging institutional communication Providing law enforcement training Establishment of several negative

feedback mechanisms that help check problems before they develop into dangerous

Prevention Interagency Communication: DE bill set

up oversight committee comprised of public health, law enforcement & community

Knowledge of and agreement on law Formulation of SOP around NEP

Police give needle vouchers to NEP clients! NEP handles disposal for confiscated sharps

Prevention Police info card

Info on NEP Guidelines on avoiding NSI # to call for info

IDU focus groups Experiences w/ law enforcement

Client KYR card, training and flyers

Police Info Card

Client KYR Card

Client KYR Card

Prevention – Police Training Occupational Safety

Basic infectious disease info NSI Prevention tips Glove and sharps containers distribution

(Site 2) Law relating to Harm Reduction Efforts

Explanation of regulations on syringes Value of Harm Reduction efforts to police

and community

Monitoring Incident reports Integration of questions into Public

Defender intake Lawyer training Phone hotline Police Liaison Intake/Exchange Survey

Arrest Confiscation Interaction en route to/from exchange

Response Bi-weekly meetings between police and

NEP Administrative response to adverse

events – open communication between NEP and police

Legal action Can be lengthy, costly, and victory unclear

Even if you win, difficult to get the police to change their behavior

Next Steps Build peer/peer training capacity Dissemination/refinement

Important Principles• Police willing to listen to information that

comes from other police: peer-to-peer• Police responsive to information that

affects them directly (ie NSI)• Police are generally pragmatic – many

think arresting for paraphernalia/simple possession is ‘a waste of time’

• Positive relationships are key: use official connections to establish credibility

Conclusion Harm Reduction is an effective, evidence

based framework If we continue to act as if we are ‘doing

something wrong’ state actors will continue to act as if we are ‘doing something wrong’!

Acknowledgments Drug Policy Alliance ACLU Foundation of Delaware Rhode Island Foundation Wilmington, DE Police Dept.