Events

Conversation Series: Webinar 4

We are pleased to announce the final edition of our Webinar Conversation Series, which will zoom in on Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), a collaborative community safety effort that offers law enforcement an alternative to jail and prosecution by diverting individuals to case management and supportive services.

During this conversation, we’ll hear from Lakewood, Colorado Mayor Adam Paul on the City’s recently-approved (LEAD) program—what it looks like and the measures that were taken to make the change.

LEAD: “Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a pre-booking diversion pilot program developed with the community to address low-level drug and prostitution crimes … The program allows law enforcement officers to redirect low-level offenders engaged in drug or prostitution activity to community-based services, instead of jail and prosecution. By diverting eligible individuals to services, LEAD is committed to improving public safety and public order, and reducing the criminal behavior of people who participate in the program.” LEAD reduced recidivism by 22%.

We’ll also have a conversation with experts around the potential challenges and opportunities for local electeds and communities around this model.

Moderator

  • Lindell Smith, Councillor, City of Halifax (Recently appointed as Chair of the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners)

Setting the stage: What do we need to know about LEAD

  • Malika Lamont, Project Manager, LEAD Washington State Expansion and Project Director, VOCAL-WA

Colorado’s experience with the LEAD program

Potential impacts/benefits

Date and Location
January 25, 2021, 12:00-1:30pm
(Panelist discussion 12:00-1:00pm followed by Q&A 1:00-1:30pm)
Zoom

For more information or if you have any questions, please email Aidan Shirley at ashirley@columbiainstitute.eco.

Special thanks to Amy Lubik for getting this amazing line-up of speakers together!

Thanks also to our sponsors for helping make this event possible.