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‘Using advocacy tools to establish positive working relationships with law enforcement.’

‘Using advocacy tools to establish positive working relationships with law enforcement.’. Greg Denham Senior Technical Adviser Law Enforcement. Police Views. Policing agencies predominantly focus on enforcement of drug laws and dealing with the consequences of illicit drug use.

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‘Using advocacy tools to establish positive working relationships with law enforcement.’

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  1. ‘Using advocacy tools to establish positive working relationships with law enforcement.’ Greg Denham Senior Technical Adviser Law Enforcement

  2. Police Views Policing agencies predominantly focus on enforcement of drug laws and dealing with the consequences of illicit drug use. In many cases police can develop very negative attitudes towards illicit drug use. Consequently, many police may not be initially supportive of programs because they may believe.…… .

  3. Police Views • harm reduction will conflict with law enforcement goals • program sites will attract users and also dealers - ‘honey pot’ effect • increased discarding of paraphernalia - needles in the streets: anger by community groups • programs will compromise prevention of drug use and treatment…… .

  4. Police Views • harm reduction approaches might ‘increase drug use’ • MMT is not appropriate drug treatment: ‘stop all drug use’ • effective approaches are ‘too liberal’ • services for drug users result in the ‘innocent’ not able to get medical treatment. .

  5. Police Support Critical When police are not supportive or are unaware of harm reduction services their activities can severely disrupt the functions of these programs. Unsupportive and disruptive policing activities can include….. .

  6. Police Actions • concentrating police activities by targeting the sites of services to search and detain users, including attending at drop in centres • searching and detaining outreach workers and peer educators when working with users • searching users and seizing clean injecting equipment • being generally unsupportive – at public forums - in steering committees – meetings etc .

  7. Police Actions Police activity targeting sites will lead to…. • decline in the number of clients using services • risky injecting practices and other associated harms • increased numbers of clients in other sites • clients reluctant to engage generally. .

  8. Issues: Police actions can be one of the strongest determinants of whether a person uses harm reduction services or not. Policing actions can be counter productive to harm reduction programs and increase the HIV risks to individuals and the general community. Police support for harm reduction approaches is critical in facilitating ‘enabling environments’. .

  9. Issues: ‘Police can be the best friend - or the worst enemy - of harm reduction’ ‘Harm reduction cannot - and will not - work without the active participation and support from police’. .

  10. Goal of Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction: To develop and maintain a supportive and enabling environment for harm reduction approaches.

  11. Advocacy Tools In order to gain support from law enforcement agencies to develop enabling environments, particularly at the site level, a range of practical ‘tools’ that enable police to ‘operationalise’ the concept of harm reduction are available.

  12. Advocacy Tools • Training curriculum: Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction • Booklet: ‘Guidelines for addressing police concerns about harm reduction’ • Booklet: ‘Understanding harm reduction’ • DVD – ‘Effective approaches for law enforcement’ and trainer’s guide

  13. Advocacy Tools • Handout: ‘Police policies and practices that support harm reduction’ • Handout: ‘Police and health – local level agreement’ • Resource: TOT graduates • Handout: ‘Guidelines and program – senior police seminars’ • Sample training/workshop session: ‘Law enforcement and harm reduction organisations: improving relationships’

  14. Advocacy Tools • Handout: ‘Preventing police occupational exposure’ • Handout: ‘NSPS and MMT – is there really a choice between the two’? • Handouts: ‘ORW - Peer education – Primary care health – NSPS’ • Website guide: www.arhp.org.vn

  15. Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction Advocacy and Action Manual • Contains all of the tools mentioned in this presentation as well as additional components that assist in advocacy efforts with law enforcement agencies. • Developed as a practical resource that provides direction for those working in the harm reduction field and advocating for understanding and support for their services from law enforcement agencies.

  16. Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction Advocacy and Action Manual The manual is available in English, Vietnamese, Chinese and Burmese languages and can be download from: www.arhp.org.vn

  17. End of PresentationThank You!

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