# 85

Article addresses Law Enforcement response to opioid epidemic in which Officers shift their approach from arrest to counselling and treatment.

Law Enforcement Administrators are interviewed, however, none mention the loss of arrest statistics which are used for the evaluation of all police officers and reporting of crime statistics which are reported to the FBI, monthly.

The below article accurately identifies how a vacuum has been created by the new phenomenon of opioid drug overdose cases and deaths.  Unfortunately, the article also identifies how, perhaps, an inappropriate response has evolved - law enforcement as counselor - when other more appropriate social service agencies have not stepped-up.

The report clearly describes the frustrations experienced by many police officers who identify time spent responding to overdose cases as time stolen from attacking crime.  Officers explain how they come out of their academies with a healthy attitude to find and arrest criminals and do not like having their time occupied dealing with a sickness which drains their resources.

Coming from a police department which evaluated performance by measurable statistical objectives (MSOs), and with an awareness of the Uniform Crime Report submitted monthly by all American Law Enforcement to the FBI, the shift in priorities can quickly produce statistics which vary radically from corresponding months in prior years.

Another realistic observation is that resources intended for enforcement/safety are being diverted to social services while social services funding is not being forced to step-up and address a dilemma which is really its area to handle. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/as-opioid-overdoses-rise-police-officers-become-counselors-doctors-and-social-workers/2017/03/12/85a99ba6-fa9c-11e6-be05-1a3817ac21a5_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_opioidpolice-740pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.40aafacfb585