Deflection, Crime Reduction, and Policing: What’s Old is New Again! Willow B
In this presentation, deflection will be explored as a form of crime reduction through its
preventative and interventive approaches to addressing the impact of substance use and
related issues in communities. Framed as a form of community advocacy and an extension
of the community policing ethos, deflection creates community-driven solutions with active
engagement from community stakeholders, inclusive of law enforcement. Deflection can
also serve as a trust-building tool between the community and the police: when the police
respect community values, people’s willingness to share information and engage with the
police about crimes and disorder leads to safer communities.
Discussion will also include an overview of Chief August Vollmer’s and Sir Robert Peel's
perspectives of officers as social workers, emphasizing the importance of understanding the
underlying causes behind crime to effectively address the issues at hand, rather than simply
making arrests. By tackling the root cause of criminal behavior, the symptoms of the
disorder (crime) can naturally resolve themselves; addressing substance use disorders
(SUDs) through deflection methods inherently includes crime reduction.
Moderator:
Kelly Cleveland, Program Manager, TASC's Center for Health and Justice
Presenters:
Mark Elliott, Police Chief (Ret.), Northfield Police Department
Guy Farina, Senior Program Manager, TASC's Center for Health and Justice
Catherine Weerts, Program Manager, TASC's Center for Health and Justice
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