Community Partnership: Launch of Lakewood LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion)

Lakewood’s pilot LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program launched July 1, 2021. It is described as “a pre-booking diversion program that aims to improve public health and to end the cycle of recidivism.” It is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Lakewood Police Department (LPD), Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) and the Community Connections Center (C3). This collaboration is an effort to improve public health and equity across our community. HIV Prevention and Harm Reduction Specialist Michael Ford at JCPH described the program as “attempting to reverse the undue criminalization of people who use drugs by diverting low-level criminal charges.”

JCPH’s Points West staff use harm reduction by meeting participants where they are with their drug use. For example, for participants who are currently using injection drugs, we exchange their used needles for sterile needles and syringes, provide them with sterile injection equipment and sharps disposal boxes, and provide information on safer injection techniques to help reduce their chances of getting HIV, Hepatitis C or other infections.

Points West provided six trainings to Lakewood law enforcement officers prior to the program launch on the basic tenants of harm reduction. Public Health Nurse Supervisor Annie Nolan said, “Points West’s presentation to Lakewood police officers on the benefits of applying a harm reduction approach was indicative that this initiative is pushing new boundaries.”

In response to the training, Michael Miller, Opioid Initiatives Coordinator at JCPH, said, “This week was the first opportunity for each of the partnering agencies (Points West, LPD, and the Community Connections Center) to begin implementing all of the components we worked on collaboratively for over a year during program development. The experience of harm reduction experts and law enforcement teaching and learning from each other, while also having the opportunity to learn together from the LEAD National Support Bureau, was a rewarding experience.”

To learn more about JCPH’s exciting partnership with the Lakewood LEAD program, reach out to Sarah Sweeterman at ssweeterman@jeffco.us

For more information about Points West services visit the website https://www.pointswestjeffco.com/