The Safer Knowsley Partnership is working with local communities to reduce crime.
Part of the strategy is to identify offenders who commit crime in order to fund drug habits or commit crimes under the influence of drugs. Once identified, treatment and support to divert them away from a life of drugs can be offered, with the aim that there will be a reduction in crime.
As part of the ongoing support for drug users, Knowsley has recently developed the “Test on Arrest” provision. If a resident is arrested for one of twenty “trigger” offences, they will be compulsory drug tested for opiates and cocaine. Such offences include burglary and theft. Those who test positive will be required to attend a compulsory drug assessment, even if they are not charged.
Test on arrest was introduced in Knowsley in August 2007 and aims to
reduce drug-related crime by getting offenders into treatment.
If the test proves to be positive, they will be required to engage in
treatment services; if they don’t then they will be in breach and will
be arrested by Merseyside Police and presented to Court.
Those who fail to provide a sample or comply with an assessment could
face a fine of up to £2,500 and or up to three months in prison.
The measures are part of the Drugs Act 2005 drawn up after consultations with the police forces and other agencies.
Councillor Jackie Harris, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Social Inclusion, commented “Tackling the issue of drug misuse is a key priority for the Safer Knowsley Partnership. Knowsley’s Drug Intervention Programme provides drug-misusing offenders with treatment and support resulting in communities suffering less crime. The test on arrest provision is helping to reduce drug-related crime.”
Chief Inspector John Holmes added “Test on arrest has been running in Knowsley for seven months. During this time, we have referred over 300 people into drug treatment programmes. We hope this programme will help break the destructive cycle of drugs, offending and prison.”
A critical element of the programme is delivery of a broad range of
effective treatment, which is cheaper and more effective than putting
drug-misusing offenders through the criminal justice system repeatedly
without support to help them tackle their drugs problem.
Treatment is not a soft option as drug-related community orders imposed by the courts usually involve a strict monitoring regime
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