By Jason Cain, Director of Law Enforcement and Medical Response
When SAFE Project was established, we were focused on finding promising and innovative law enforcement approaches to battling the opioid epidemic, and leveraging those approaches in order to fill existing gaps and barriers in prison systems throughout our country. We also knew that stronger partnerships between local public health and public safety communities were necessary to make a positive change. And while law enforcement agencies accept that they cannot arrest their way out of the addiction epidemic, we know more can be done to make a change in communities across the U.S.
Through our research and work with North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and law enforcement agencies throughout the country, SAFE discovered that many Chiefs and Sheriffs are desperately looking for answers and new ideas for battling the addiction epidemic in their communities. For many agencies that have seen great improvements in their community, the answer was implementing a Pre-Arrest Diversion program. Not only do these programs direct people with substance use disorder to treatment and recovery, but they also bring additional resources and staff to the table to help law enforcement agencies continue their job of keeping the public safe.
With these findings in mind, SAFE set out to create a guide that boosts existing law enforcement efforts and helps implement programs that make a positive change for communities across the nation.
Today, that guide is complete. Our Pre-Arrest Diversion Resource Guide is now available for law enforcement agencies to utilize; and the SAFE team is here to help communities find the model and approach that best fits their community and situation.
With our new Pre-Arrest Diversion Resource Guide in hand, agencies can rapidly adopt a PAD program, and help save a life every single day.
Learn more about what is inside our Pre-Arrest Diversion Resource Guide and download your own copy below:
