NCJ Number
195299
Date Published
January 2002
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the value of including law enforcement in a harm reduction regime or paradigm, harm reduction goals, and the fact that some harm reduction perspectives do not welcome prominent law enforcement involvement.
Abstract
This article discusses the gap in harm reduction strategies in drug treatment and public health interventions in Australia due to the exclusion of involvement by law enforcement. In terms of setting drug policy, identifying goals is recommended as being more constructive than identifying specific programs, with law enforcement being more likely to reduce total harm than harm per user. Recommended roles for law enforcement in harm reduction include the following: making compliance in obtaining treatment a condition of probation/parole, co-locating treatment centers and police stations to reassure citizens and discourage drug sellers, and information exchange to identify geographic areas of treatment need and/or police effectiveness. Other suggestions include: time-focused law enforcement intervention early in the introduction of a drug to a market area rather than focusing upon an established drug market may be more effective in harm reduction; statistical outcomes should be based on definitions of harm to the community not usually looked at, for example, listing statistically the use of stealth or corruption; and law enforcement crack down should be hardest on the most obnoxious type of dealing and be less harsh on the less harmful types of drug dealing. The study concludes that law enforcement is a uniquely powerful resource for harm reduction drug control efforts but has not been identified and utilized as such in academic literature. References