Implementing Deflection Programs in Large and Small Cities to Benefit Police, Communities, and Individuals

After a slight reduction in 2018, there has been a surge in drug overdoses in the United States since 2019 . Police frequently must respond to or be in contact with individuals with substance use disorders. Rather than arrest these individuals, law enforcement agencies across the nation are implementing a creative means of breaking the cycle of drug use and drug-related crime while rebuilding community trust through a practice called “deflection,” which redirects citizens away from the justice system and into community-based treatment and services. This session will feature police leaders from Philadelphia, PA, a city of over 1.5 million people, and Menomonie, WI, which has a population of less than 17,000. These leaders will describe the challenges their communities faced, discuss how they implement deflection programs in their cities, explain how they brought partners to the table (including treatment and service providers, other justice system partners, and community stakeholders), and demonstrate some of the outcomes and benefits of their programs. Presentations will be followed by a facilitated roundtable discussion, with participation from attendees, about the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing deflection programs in different-sized cities.