Dover Police Department’s community policing unit will lead the new Quality of Life Initiative.
The program is intended to take action on issues and reports brought in by community members, while using targeted outreach to assist those experiencing homelessness or mental health and substance use issues.
There were no specific data reports or analyses involved in the initiative’s creation, according to Dover Police Chief Thomas Johnson, Jr.
A 2022 study from the Harm Reduction Journal finds that a traditional policing approach relying on criminal justice to address drug use-related crimes does not lead to reductions in arrest, incarceration or recidivism.
Johnson said the city is not seeing fewer overdoses or calls for people in crisis even with their functioning Behavioral Health Unit.
“It seemed to be like we were spinning our wheels and actually getting deeper into the mud, because we weren't making progress. We were going in the other direction.”
Johnson first alluded to the program at a town hall meeting for the business community on Sept. 18.
He said it’s time for a new approach and the city hasn’t moved the needle on things like drug use, overdoses, open lewdness, prostitution and trespassing.
“We're trying to raise all boats… This quality of life Initiative is a community problem-solving effort, and sometimes that's going to involve maybe being that one last thing that was missing to get somebody over the hump so they can get better.”
The Quality of Life Initiative will take action by having conversations with people “flirting” with violations, ticketing, making arrests and encouraging people to seek treatment.
