Edinburgh Napier University

  Background:
There is strong evidence that enforcement-based policing practices in relation to drug possession for personal use can negatively impact upon health outcomes for people who use drugs and reduce engagement with harm reduction services due to fear of criminalisation.

Research Objectives:
This paper seeks to explore police officers’ perceptions of the proposed implementation of Drug Checking Services (DCS) in Scotland; what they believe to be the main challenges and best approach in relation to the policing of the surrounding areas; their views on criminalisation of personal possession more generally, and how this relates to DCS.

Methods:
This paper uses semi-structured interviews to explore police officer perceptions of the policing challenges facing proposed DCS. It is drawn from a larger project aiming to inform the implementation of DCS in three Scottish cities.

Results:
Participants were generally supportive of DCS and described this support as part of a wider organisational shift towards public health-oriented policing. Various potential approaches to policing of areas surrounding DCS were discussed. These included formal limits on police presence and or stop and search powers in relation to personal possession in the area; effective decriminalisation of personal possession within a specified boundary around the service; and informal agreements between local divisions and the service outlining expected policing practices. Formal limitations on the capacity of police officers to respond to community concerns were viewed as problematic. Participants also highlighted the potential for frontline officers to utilise discretion in ways that could undermine public health goals. Legislative change, or national strategic guidance from stakeholders, were seen as ways of enabling local divisions to support the operation of DCS.

Conclusions:
Findings indicate a perceived need for careful consideration and discussion of the steps necessary to move towards a more public health approach to the policing of drug possession, one which enables access to vital harm reduction services. We conclude with implications for policy and practice in terms of how to develop approaches to policing that can facilitate the implementation of DCS and access to harm reduction services for people who use drugs.