TY - JOUR AU - Poothakool, Krisanaphong PY - 2018/10/26 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - The Role of Law Enforcement in Community-Based Drug Treatment and its Impact on Crime Prevention JF - International Journal of Criminology and Sociology JA - Int. J. Criminol. Sociol. VL - 7 IS - 0 SE - Articles DO - 10.6000/1929-4409.2018.07.18 UR - https://www.lifescienceglobal.com/pms/index.php/ijcs/article/view/5677 SP - 250-259 AB - <p class="04-abstract"><span class="normaltextrun">In line with trends in other countries the Royal Thai Police acknowledges the need for more community-oriented approaches which are responsive to local contexts. However, the development of such approaches to policing needs also to engage with responses to illicit drug use locally, which would include a wider definition of harm reduction and </span><span class="spellingerror">accommodate</span><span class="normaltextrun"> the work of public health partners their initiatives, such as needle-exchange.</span></p><p class="04-abstract"><span class="normaltextrun">The present study examines the role of law enforcement officers in community-based drug treatment in the Chiang Mai region of the Upper North, through use of in-depth, qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, which included senior police, judges, public health managers, NGO workers and local community leaders.</span></p><p class="04-abstract"><span class="normaltextrun">Most interviewees expressed concern that not enough was being done to address drug use in local communities, and barriers to police adopting a harm reduction approach locally included government-directed arrest quotas and lack of experience in working co-operatively with public health partners. Effective police involvement required coordinated policy-change and officer training to develop understanding and ways of working to support community-based drug treatment.</span></p> ER -