Improving Community Safety and Community Relations by Understanding and Addressing Drug Addiction

When people are addicted to drugs, their decision-making abilities are compromised. With information on how addiction affects the brain, and how to effectively partner with drug treatment organizations, many law enforcement agencies are working to reduce crime and improve community relations by diverting low-risk individuals to treatment rather than arrest them when their offenses are related to addiction.

Examples of such initiatives include the LEAD program in Seattle, the STEER Deflection Model in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) models such as the Gloucester (MA) Angel Program.

Designed for showing during roll call, these videos cover two specific areas:

• What happens when a brain is addicted, and what this means for law enforcement who encounter people with addictions; and

• How to partner with local drug treatment providers to address drug use and addiction.

This project was supported by Grant No. G1299ONDCP02A awarded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not represent the official position or policies of the Executive Office of the President.