Innovative harm reduction police programs from around the world

In September 2022, the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association held a major event series called the ‘Marketplace of Ideas’, which showcased practical and innovative approaches to addressing public health issues that have traditionally been criminalised or over-policed, with a particular focus on policing and policing alternatives. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime was a major supporter of the event series.

This report summarises the key learnings and discussions stemming from the event’s session on ‘Law Enforcement, Drugs and Harm Reduction’ in which six exciting programs from around the globe were selected to present their unique approaches to effectively addressing HIV and problem drug use with police as partners in these public health endeavours. This report examines these six case studies to better understand the key elements of the programs, to discuss their common characteristics, and to demonstrate the importance of collaborating across sectors to change perspectives and improve community safety, health and wellbeing outcomes.

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