National Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Strategy Background Paper

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Law enforcement agencies are playing an increasingly important role in the harm reduction
and demand reduction strategic areas of the National Drug Strategy, including responding
to drug users and drug affected individuals. Law enforcement agencies are in regular
contact with at-risk individuals or individuals already suffering from drug related harms.
Consequently, law enforcement is able to aid the diversion of individuals to timely and
appropriate treatment plans and/or early education programs. The following objectives
and related activities are recommended:
i. Improve understanding among law enforcement personnel about interventions,
treatments and support for ATS users:
• Ensure training for law enforcement officers is adequate to assist with awareness
of benefits and availability of referral to treatment, education or early intervention
for individuals with ATS related problems, including mental health and drug
comorbidity; police officers ability to able to deal with people exhibiting violent
and erratic behaviour, which may result from ATS intoxication; and
• Ensure effective coordination arrangements exist between law enforcement
and health, mental health, and social welfare agencies.
ii. Improve access for ATS users to high-quality treatment services:
• Support the accelerated implementation provision of effective broad ranging
treatment options for dependent users of ATS.
6.10 Summary
It has been estimated that Australia expends between $1.3 and $2 billion annually on drug
law enforcement activity (Homel & Willis, 2007). This chapter has provided an overview of
policy and strategies which go far beyond interdicting and disrupting supply or noting the
number of drug seizure and arrest as measures of successful interventions. The model of
law enforcement tackling illicit drugs reflected in this chapter is multi-layered increasingly
incorporating proactive and partnership interventions. Relationships between international
agencies, the Commonwealth, States and Territories and between policing, the criminal
justice system, human services, corrections and health are increasingly cooperative
and collaborative. These interventions include international provisions and domestic
legislative responses acknowledging the drug trade as a borderless activity in preventing
supply, responses to crime through diversion and juvenile justice services, collaboration
with the community through awareness campaigns and engaging the cooperation of the
pharmaceutical and transport industries.
The developing role of drug law enforcement requires a concomitant development in
evaluating these interventions and measuring outcomes. A framework for measuring the
effectiveness of the work performance of drug law enforcement agencies has recently
been developed (Homel & Willis, 2007). The framework recognises that such measures
must move away from those traditionally used to consider the broader impacts of law
enforcement work and identifies outcomes related to the principles of the National Drug
Strategy, (many of which are referred to in this and other chapters), designed to reduce drug