>> IN PIMA COUNTY, OPEN OID OVER DOSES ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE
OF DEATH AND DRUG ADDICTION IS BEHIND PROPERTY CRIMES.
LAST MONTH, POLICE IMPLEMENTED A NEW PROGRAM TO ADDRESS BOTH
ISSUES. THE DEFLECTION PROGRAM LETS
OFFICERS CHOOSE WHETHER O ARREST PEOPLE OR REFER THEM FOR
TREATMENT INSTEAD. SINCE JULY, NEARLY 50 PEOPLE
HAVE AVOIDED ARREST. WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THIS
APPROACH FROM KEVIN HALL WHO'S SPEARHEADING THE EFFORTS.
>> THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE IS WITH WHAT THE DEFLECTION
PROGRAM IS ABOUT IS NOT PUTTING THESE FOLKS IN JAIL WHERE THEY
DON'T RECEIVE TREATMENT AND ONLY EXACERBATES THEIR ISSUES, BUT
IT'S ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT PLACEMENT FOR THEM WITH
TREATMENT TREATMENT.
>> DESCRIBE HOW THIS WORKS. AN OFFICER INTERACTS WITH
SOMEBODY WHO JUST COMMITTED A CRIME AND MAYBE NEEDS MORE THAN
BEING PLACE ND THE JAIL. >> YES.
TRUE DEFLECTION, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTS, THE
DEFLECTION PART IS THERE ARE CRIMINAL CHARGES THAT A PERSON
CAN BE CHARGED WITH. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF AN OFFICER
COMES ACROSS SOMEBODY ON A BICYCLE TRAFFIC, WHAT WE CALL
BICYCLE TRAFFIC. STOP SOMEBODY FOR RIDING ON THE
WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. THEY HAVE A SIRYNGE STICKING OUT
OF THEIR POCKET. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE
OFFICER ENGAGES THEM WITH THE TRAINING THEY PROVIDED AND THEY
MAKE DETERMINATION WHETHER THIS PERSON IS READY FOR TREATMENT
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT READY AND THEY HAVE TO BE READY
OTHERWISE WE'RE WASTING OUR TIME.
AFTER THE OFFICER ENGAGES THAT INDIVIDUAL, THEN THEY MAKE THE
DECISION, IS TREATMENT BETTER FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL AT THIS
POINT IN TIME THAN JAIL. THEY CAN EITHER OUR PRIMARY
PARTNER, KODAK, OR THEY CAN TRANSFER THE INDIVIDUAL
THEMSELVES. KODAK WILL SEND OUT A TEAM TO
PICK UP THE INDIVIDUAL. >> ONCE AT KODAK, MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS WILL ASSESS EACH PERSON AND DETERMINE IF IT'S
SAFE FOR THEM TO BEGIN MEDICATED ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR THEIR
ADDICTION. WE LEARNED MORE FROM DAN BARDEN.
>> ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE COMING IN ARE GETTING
ENGANGED IN TREATMENT AND DOING REALLY WELL.
SO YOU KNOW, AND A THIRD OF THEM GO INTO WHAT WE REFER TO AS
OUTREACH. WE GO FIND THEM.
GET THEM ENGANLED. >> KODAK CAN GET PATIENTS
STARTED ON MEDICINES OFTEN IN AN OUTPATIENT DOSE TO AVOID DETOX.
TREATMENT VARIES DEPENDING ON THE PERSON AND THEIR HISTORY OF
DRUG USE. SOME ARE TREATED IN MONTH,
OTHERS TAKE YEARS. >> ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A
BELIEF THAT ONCE YOU STARTED METHADONE
METHADONE, YOU COULD NEVER COME OFF.
THAT'S NOT TRUE. OUR DOCTOR WORKS REALLY WELL
WITH HIS TEAM AND ALL THE DOCS WORK WITH MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE ALWAYS CREATING THAT HOPE AND MOVING TOWARD DETOX.
>> KODAK HAS EXISTED IN TUCSON FOR 45 YEARS.
THIS PAST JANUARY, IT EXPANDED SERVICES TO TREAT PEOPLE 24/7, A
RARE RESOURCE IN THIS AREA MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO FEDERAL
FUNDING. >> WHEN SOMEBODY DECIDES IT'S
TIME TO GET HELP, WE WANT IT TO BE HERE, OPEN, WE WANT TO BE
AVAILABLE TO THEM WHEN THEY MAKE THAT DECISION SO THEY CAN WALK
IN AT THAT POINT IN TIME, GET ASSESSED.
WE COULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT APPROPRIATE TREATMENT AND
GET OME THEM STARTED IN TREATMENT.
WE'RE IN THIS WONDERFUL PLACE RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO
FUNDING BECAUSE BETWEEN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDING THAT'S OUT
THERE, THERE'S MONEY, THERE'S MONEY FOR ANYBODY.
THERE'S FUNDING FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS IT THE TREATMENT NOW.
NOT SAYING THAT I CAN'T AFFORD IT, I CAN'T PAY FOR IT.
IS NOT AN EXCUSE RIGHT NOW. >> ON THE ISSUE OF FUNDING, I
ASKED CHIEF HALL WHAT THE DEFLEK PROGRAM COST THE CITY OF TUCSON.
SAY THIS PERSON GOES TO REHAB AND FAILS.
DOESN'T DO WELL. ANY BOUNCEBACK TO THE CITY AS A
RESULT OF THAT? >> NO.
ABSOLUTELY COST NEUTRAL FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.
THERE'S NO LIABILITY FROM A CRIMINAL STANDPOINT.
THE ONLY THING, THE ONLY THING THAT WE NEED IS SAVE THE
TAXPAYERS ABOUT $375 FOR NOT BOOKING THE INDIVIDUAL AND
TAKING THE TREATMENT. >> SOUNDS LIKE SECOND CHANCE.
ANY CONCERN THIS MIGHT SEND THE WRONG MESSAGE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE
JUST WANTING TO GET OFF EASY? >> THERE IS THAT TREND AMONGST
CERTAIN MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY THAT DRUG USE IS A MORAL FAILURE
OR A CHOICE. WHAT WE KNOW ONCE AGAIN THE
SCIENCE BEHIND ADDICTION PARTICULARLY WITH OPIOIDS IS
WHILE IT MAY HAVE BEEN A CHOICE AT THE BEGINNING, IT VERY
RAPIDLY WAS IN 30 TO 60 DAYS IS NO LOPG RER A CHOICE AND THEY
NEED THE DRUGS. >> PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON
THE OFFICER TO MAKE THAT JUDGMENT OR THE TRAINING CREATES
THAT SCENARIO FOR THEM TO KNOW THIS IS THE PERSON WHO NEEDS
TREATMENT AS OPPOSED TO JAIL TIME.
>> WELL, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MAKE LIFE AND DEATH
DECISIONS DAILY AND THE PRESSURES THAT THEY ARE UNDER IN
A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE IN MY
OPINION, MAKE THEM QUALIFIED TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS,
WHICH ARE NOT A LOT OF PRESSURE FOR THEM.
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THEY'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE
INDIVIDUAL. THE ONLY PRESSURE IS ARE THEY
DOING IT IN THE RIGHT WAY IS TREATMENT BETTER OR IS JAIL
BETTER. WE VERY MUCH SUPPORTED THE
OFFICER ON EITHER DECISION. >> HAVE YOU HAD OFFICERS WHO
WERE CONCERNED THAT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY THEIR AREA OF
EXPERTISE OR THAT'S TAKING THEM OUTSIDE THEIR LINE OF WORK?
>> YES. WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS IN THE
PAST WHEN WE FIRST OFFERED, FIRST MANDATED THE OFFICERS HAVE
TO CARRY NALOXONE. WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST IN
ARIZONA TO DO THAT. THIS ISN'T WHAT WE SIGNED UP
FOR. THIS ISN'T OUR B JOB.
AND YOU KNOW, WE SAID WELCOME TO 21 POLICING.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, ONLY TOOK A COUPLE OF SAVES OR RESCUES AND
EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD. AS SOON AS THEY SAW THIS WORKS
AND THEY SAVE LIVEDS. COPS GET INTO THE JOB TO HELP
PEOPLE AND AS SOON AS THEY FIGURE OUT THEY CAN SAVE A LIFE
QUICKLY AND EASILY, ALL OF THAT RESISTANCE WENT AWAY.
>> TUCSON POLICE CAN ONLY REFER ADULTS FOR DEFLECTION AS LONG AS
THEY'RE NOT ON PROBATION R OR PAU PAROLE AND HAVEN'T BEEN
ARRESTED IN THE PAST YEAR. RESEARCHERS ARE ALSO EVALUATING
THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS.