John,
Today, on International Overdose Awareness Day, we honor the lives lost to overdose and advocate for a better way forward. Last year, an estimated 107,622 people died of overdose in the United States alone. As justice system professionals, we are in a position to change that. |
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You spent more than two decades in policing. How did you view the justice system’s approach to substance use disorder as a new officer versus how you viewed it later in your career?
In the early days of my policing career, I thought the criminal justice approach could make a difference in the lives of people who were caught up in addiction. I believed that the tools in place to address supply and demand would somehow make things better for people. It didn’t take long to realize that I was dead wrong. We were doing nothing to actually stop the supply of drugs from coming into the community, and we certainly were not getting people into any real services. Most of all, the criminal justice approach created more harm in the community, especially in communities of color. It helped drive a stake between the community and the police. Later in my career, I realized we needed a public health approach. We needed to rethink putting people in jail for substance use disorders or for self-medicating due to mental health needs. We also needed to get people into the services they needed, and it needed to go beyond treatment, we needed a harm reduction philosophy and services so that we could start treating people with humanity and dignity. I came around to the reality that we needed to end the war on drugs, as it was in no way making the public safer.
What do you view as the highest priority in addressing substance use disorder, from a policing perspective?
In this moment in time, the highest priority should be collaborating with our public health partners and ensuring we are saving lives and connecting people to valuable services. We should be recognizing that we are not the experts in this field, and we should stop trying to run point. We had 50+ years of that, and we showed that we not only failed in solving any issue, but we also further complicated things in our communities.107,000 people died last year, there can be no higher priority.
We know that the use of incarceration to treat a serious public health crisis is outdated and harmful. What do programs like LEAD do differently that make for a more successful approach?
LEAD recognizes that very fact. It provides systemic change by providing criminal legal system players, including police officers, the ability to divert people with substance use disorders into long term care. It goes further in that when that person is diverted, those system actors engage with the person's case manager and collaborate so the system does not impede on the person's progress. Lastly, it approaches long term care from a harm reduction perspective, a person-centered philosophy. This allows us to recognize that not everyone is ready to be abstinent, but that we can work with people in so many different ways. We know some people suffer due to other issues around trauma or mental illness. If all we ever do is focus on the substance use, we will never actually help the person. LEAD also recognizes the reality that some people are going to choose to use drugs. In fact, there are people who use drugs and never develop problematic drug use or behavior. LEAD helps system actors understand that in a way that helps to change the system.
What can police do to engage with their communities better around overdose prevention?
Police can embrace and encourage harm reduction practices. They can try to connect people with substance use disorders to services rather than arrest them. They can carry naloxone, encourage others to carry naloxone. They can make sure Good Samaritan laws are respected. Police can help reduce stigma and view the crisis we are in as a public health issue. They can work with harm reduction providers so that people have access to clean syringes, fentanyl test strips, and non-coercive services. Police can stop arresting people that use drugs. They can break down so many of the myths that exist: stop fueling misconceptions that continue to drive the patterns of punishment and coercion of the criminal legal system approach. They can also educate themselves on things like overdose prevention sites, safe drug supply, decriminalization, and legalization. They can question drug policy as it exists. The notion that police exist only to enforce the law is a fallacy. Police can, and should, work to influence the drug policies that exist. Otherwise, they will continue to be used as pawns in an unjust war on people. |
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Because of LEAP speakers like Chief Cox, there is a better way forward. By focusing on evidence-based best practices for addressing substance use disorder and overdose prevention, we can see that making resources accessible, making community engagement a priority, and divesting from incarceration as a blanket solution are all touchstones on the path to addressing this public health crisis more effectively and appropriately.
As law enforcement professionals, we can lead with humanity and compassion. We can prioritize treatment over punishment. And we can save lives. #EndOverdose |
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