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Communities nationwide continue to experience recurring low-level crime and disorder associated with substance use and mental health challenges. Repeated arrest and short-term detention often do little to resolve these underlying drivers, leading to continued law enforcement contact, increased system costs, and persistent threats to community safety.

Deflection provides law enforcement with a practical, evidence-based strategy to intervene earlier and more effectively. By redirecting appropriate individuals away from arrest and toward treatment, recovery supports, housing stability, and other proven services, deflection helps disrupt repeat offending, reduce recidivism, and enhance public safety outcomes. When implemented with clear protocols and strong partnerships, deflection strengthens, not replaces, traditional enforcement by reserving arrest and incarceration for serious and violent crime.

This session will examine deflection as a law–enforcement–led crime-reduction tool, highlighting how early intervention, coordinated service delivery, and officer discretion can break cycles of repeat offenses while improving community conditions. Participants will hear from experienced practitioners and review findings from the peer-reviewed article “Preventing Substance Use-Related Crime through Deflection,” published in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Human Rights & Science (Volume 7, Issue 3), authored and co-authored by two panelists.

Designed as an interactive, practice-focused discussion, this session will provide law enforcement leaders with real-world examples, implementation considerations, and actionable steps to strengthen or expand deflection within their existing crime reduction strategies. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how deflection can improve efficiency, reduce repeat calls for service, and deliver measurable public safety benefits for their communities.

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