From drug law enforcement to harm reduction: Conceptualising and evaluating the impact of policing drug markets

• In Event: POL Panel 10. Drugs policing and harm reduction

Abstract

Harm reduction policing involves the adoption of evidence-based policies and practices which aim to reduce the adverse health, social, and economic consequences associated with drug use, drug markets, and efforts to control them through the criminal justice system. The concept of harm reduction policing is receiving increasing attention in the academic literature. However, it has yet to have a significant impact on how police perceive, carry out, and evaluate their roles in policing drug markets. This paper draws on a co-produced research project being undertaken by researchers from the University of Sheffield and South Yorkshire Police. The research examines the current standing of harm reduction in the field of drugs policing and aims to develop a framework to help practitioners in defining drug problems, prioritisation, considering response options and their likely impacts, and identifying measures of success relating to the harms targets. We start by presenting our approach to co-production and provide an overview of the multi-method research design. Next, we present findings from the document analysis phase of the research. Documents that were analysed include national policies, police drug strategies and operational records of proactive and reactive drug market activity. We then turn to the interview data to explore police views on drug-related harms and the purposes of drugs policing. The paper concludes that police are receptive to the concept of harm reduction policing and making progress in refocusing their operations on a wider range of drug-related harms but still have a number of cultural, organisational and political barriers to overcome.

Authors

• Matthew Bacon, University of Sheffield

• Xavier L'Hoiry, University of Sheffield

• Amber Belk, South Yorkshire Police

• Ashley Rogers, South Yorkshire Police

• Reanna Garraghan, South Yorkshire Police

• Charlotte Janusz, South Yorkshire Police