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John,

2020 brought challenges that none of us anticipated. It’s been a difficult year, one that has left many feeling isolated and hopeless. For those struggling with addiction, isolation is particularly challenging, and overdose deaths have been on an upward trend across the nation this year.

Drug policy and harm reduction have always been at the heart of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership’s work. Treating drug use, misuse, and addiction as a public health issue, not a policing problem, is a key step in building positive police-community relations and establishing community health and safety as a top priority.

Chief Tom Synan of the Newtown (OH) Police Department is a visionary leader on this issue. He has made a strong commitment throughout his tenure as chief to address the opioid epidemic from a public health perspective, building a strategic action plan that directs resources to treatment and preventative education. All of us at LEAP couldn’t be prouder to call him one of our own. Keep reading and you'll see why...

Wishing you & yours a safe and peaceful holiday season,
The LEAP Staff

We’ve been living in a pandemic for nearly a year now. COVID-19 has impacted all of us, our daily lives, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. One of the most difficult aspects of this virus, for many of us, is the isolation it has created. This is particularly true for our most vulnerable, including those who struggle with drug addiction.

During the pandemic, we’ve seen a national increase in overdose deaths: an epidemic within a pandemic. We know that isolation is not the way to address drug use, abuse, or addiction. Morality policing only pushes those who need help further into their addiction, preventing them from reaching out if they do want help.

How can we do better?

It starts with us. Law enforcement professionals have an obligation to our communities. We need to educate ourselves about addiction and use that knowledge to keep our communities safe and healthy. We need to offer those who struggle with misuse or addiction support systems and resources to help them recover safely and successfully. We need, first and foremost, to treat drug addiction as a public health issue, not a justice system problem.

These are unprecedented times. If you know someone who is struggling with addiction, reach out. Let them know that they have support. Listen. And for my fellow police leaders: know that we cannot arrest our way out of this crisis – not during this pandemic, not ever. So do what you can to support more practical and compassionate solutions in your community. Addiction can be complex. As police leaders, we should be open to discussions, new ideas, or initiatives that don't always fit into traditional policing, but may accomplish our goals of saving lives and making our communities better.

We should listen to other police officials from around the world on how they handle addiction. We should critically evaluate our own ideologies so that we may be open to new pieces that fit into an overall solution.

Let’s move away from thinking of addiction as a problem to be addressed by the justice system, and instead encourage treatment, not simply punishment.

“It is time we became aware we cannot punish addiction out of someone. Instead, we should treat addiction as the chronic mental/medical health condition it is. Then we would treat those with addiction as someone – not something!”
Chief Tom Synan

Support naloxone not just for first responders, but for those we serve, so they can help us save more lives and provide more opportunities to connect to recovery. Prioritize harm reduction.

Addiction is a chronic health condition, and overdose is preventable. Let’s make it easier for people who suffer from this condition to seek help. They’re part of our families, our communities – in order to build stronger communities, we need to offer support to our most vulnerable and fund programs that prioritize community wellbeing.

Watch Chief Tom Synan moderate LEAP's recent webinar on Overdose Prevention Sites, in partnership with the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association

Law Enforcement Action Partnership
121 Mystic AvenueSuite 9 | Medford, Massachusetts 02155

 [email protected] I 781-393-6985

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