Day 28 – Drug Intervention Program – Solihull

Image by West Midlands Police
A partnership between the council, support agencies, the Probation Trust and police, know as the Drug Intervention Programme ( DIP ), is working to help people seek treatment for drug dependency and help break the ‘drug, crime, prison’ chain.

Since 2005 the programme has helped people seek treatment for a habit that can be funded by criminal activity. And while some may seek help and support when drugs or alcohol become problematic, for others the criminal justice system and their arrest is the first step to getting offenders to address their substance misuse.

In recent years Solihull has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of arrested people having to be assessed for drug use. In 2008 the DIP team worked with 654 offenders, in 2012 this figure had dropped to 320.

And as West Midlands Police ended 2012 by making history with the lowest crime levels ever recorded in the region, officers attributed some of the drop to robust offender management and close partnership working, two key elements behind the DIP .

Sue Moore, Drug Intervention Programme Manager employed by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, said: "Solihull DIP was set up to provide a simple pathway for people to seek help and treatment for substance misuse problems.

"By working in partnership, through the Solihull Integrated Addiction Service (SIAS), we are able to engage with some of the hardest to reach and most vulnerable people. We can offer bespoke support to each person, whether it is when they are arrested, at court or on their release from prison.

"We also realise that the battle with addictions is long term, so our support will continue to ensure that help is available if people find themselves relapsing.â?

Sergeant Peter Wall from Solihull Police’s offender management team, which works with the programme to provide support for prolific offenders, added: "Officers across the borough are working to convict criminals, but sometimes this is can simply be a recurring process, and we need to stop the motivation behind these acts for a longer term solution.

"For those people who test positive when tested for drugs we work with partner groups to help them turn their life around and break a lifestyle which could see them behind bars and away from their families.

"By successfully achieving this we don’t just improve their life. We stop the impact this lifestyle can have on their family, and we also stop crime throughout our communities, committed to fund a drug fuelled lifestyle."

For more information about the help available contact the DIP office on 0121 788 0753.

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