The Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative – LETI – is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and substance use treatment providers to save lives and reduce crime and recidivism. It provides an alternative option to law enforcement for people who commit low-level, non-violent crimes and have a substance use disorder to get treatment instead of punishment. It also allows individuals in Chester County to contact a member of law enforcement to ask for a referral or to be connected to treatment with no threat of arrest or prosecution.
Under LETI, Chester County law enforcement agencies will:
- Open their doors to those suffering from addiction.
- Help identify treatment for those who seek it.
- Assist with ensuring that people have transportation to treatment facilities.
- Maintain relationships with local treatment providers to be aware of the availability and collect data to study treatment outcomes.
The DAO implemented LETI in Chester County in March 2022. Launched by Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, LETI assists those with substance use disorders to seek free addiction treatment through local law enforcement – police officers, probation/parole officers, and sheriffs.
“We lose 14 Pennsylvanians each day to the opioid epidemic,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Connecting individuals to the treatment they need will save lives, make our communities stronger, and help minimize the stigma associated with substance use disorder.”
Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said, “For years, law enforcement has asked for another tool to address the drug epidemic plaguing Chester County. LETI is that tool. It redirects people suffering from addiction away from the criminal justice system and down a path that could save their lives. LETI will make a difference for so many.”
Currently, LETI operates in Berks, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Jefferson, Luzerne, Mifflin, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, and Wyoming Counties. District Attorneys in Pennsylvania interested in starting a PA LETI program should contact the Office of Attorney General at 570-826-2483 or [email protected].