Challenges for drug checking services in Scotland: a qualitative exploration of police perceptions

Abstract

Background The impact of policing practices on the engagement of people who use drugs (PWUD) with harm reduction services is well evidenced. Although the police have traditionally taken an enforcement role in responding to drug use, it is increasingly clear that they can play an important part in multiagency delivery of harm reduction interventions. Despite this, there have been no studies exploring police officer perceptions of drug checking services (DCS), which provide analytical testing of client drug samples alongside harm reduction support and advice. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 police officers to explore the policing and legal challenges which could be encountered in the delivery of DCS in Scotland. Results Participants expressed general support for DCS and described this support as part of a wider organisational shift towards public health-oriented policing. Participants also discussed different potential approaches to the policing of areas surrounding DCS including: formal limits on police presence around the service and/or stop and search powers in relation to personal possession; the effective decriminalisation of personal possession within a specified boundary around the service; and informal agreements between local divisions and DCS outlining expected policing practices. Any formal limitation on the capacity of police officers to respond to community concerns was viewed as problematic and as having the potential to erode public confidence in policing. Participants also highlighted the potential for frontline officers to utilise discretion in ways which could undermine public health goals. Legislative change, or national strategic guidance from relevant stakeholders, was seen as a means of providing ‘cover’, enabling local divisions to support the operation of drug checking. Conclusions Despite a small sample of participants, this study summarises key challenges to be addressed in the implementation and operation of DCS in Scotland, and more widely. The paper concludes with suggested opportunities to develop approaches to policing that can facilitate rather than impede implementation and operation of these services.

Challenges, policy and politics in drug checking: reflections of the TEDItorial team

“…This is because it requires collaboration with a number of stakeholders, including law enforcement, whose discretion is still often required for DCS to operate. These collaborations are not without impact on police practices, which may consequently evolve in line with public health goals, en route to what some (Falzon et al , 2022) have termed “harm reduction” policing. Thus, beyond its effects at the micro or meso-level, drug checking is likely to affect levels of openness of PWUD towards their drug use, which may encourage them to seek contact with health promotion services to talk more freely about their drug use, even before incidents occur.…”

Planning and implementing community-based drug checking services in Scotland: a qualitative exploration using the consolidated framework for implementation research

“…For participants with experience of drug use, a further eligibility criterion was that they were using illicit drugs at the time of study or had done so in the last 12 months. Family members were required to be a relative of someone who was using drugs or who had done so in the last 12 months [ 46 , 47 ]. For professional stakeholders, participants held a range of roles, including both managerial and frontline, across a variety of organisations.…”

'It’s not going to be a one size fits all': a qualitative exploration of the potential utility of three drug checking service models in Scotland

“…Those with experience of drug use, and family members, were provided with a £20 voucher. Further details on the recruitment and interview procedure have been outlined elsewhere [47].…”

“…As well as contributing to the literature on this issue, the paper will inform implementation of DCS in Scotland by building knowledge on the suitability of different settings for service delivery. Other papers from this research have explored police participants' views of drug checking [46] and key implementation barriers and facilitators [47].…”