HARRISBURG – Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the Northumberland and Dauphin expansion of LETI, a program in collaboration with law enforcement that provides assistance to Pennsylvanians suffering from substance use disorders in enrolling in a treatment program.
PA LETI, or Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative, allows Pennsylvanians seeking treatment for addiction to use their local law enforcement, including sheriffs, probation officers, and parole officers as a resource to contact participating treatment partners without the threat of arrest.
“As we continue to battle COVID-19, we can not forget the other public health emergency happening in our Commonwealth — the opioid epidemic. My office has not let our focus deter from this drug crisis that is killing 12 Pennsylvanians every day. Connecting individuals to the treatment they need will save lives and make our communities safer,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “We commend Dauphin and Northumberland counties’ district attorneys for adopting this county-wide policy in partnership with my office. It is important that the implementation of this program has the support of treatment programs in Dauphin County and Northumberland County.”
Shapiro said partnering Dauphin County and Northumberland County law enforcement agencies under PA LETI will:
- Open their station doors to those suffering from addiction.
- Help identify treatment for those who seek it.
- Assist with ensuring that people have transportation to the facilities.
- Maintain relationships with local treatment providers to understand availability, and collect data to study outcomes.
In Dauphin County and Northumberland County, individuals can contact a member of law enforcement at any time to ask for a referral or to be connected to treatment with no threat of arrest or prosecution. This policy also includes the ability for law enforcement to connect individuals to treatment at their discretion.
“LETI is a true diversion for non-violent individuals who come in contact with the criminal justice system on account of drug dependency. It diverts the individual without the need for an arrest or court appearance. But it has tracking built in to ensure that the individual is following through on treatment. This is yet another tool in our toolbox to get people help that works,” said Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo.
“The Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative is another tool for law enforcement to use in their efforts to tackle the ever-evolving drug epidemic, and I am happy to implement it here in Northumberland County,” said Northumberland District Attorney Tony Matulewicz.
Janene Holter, PhD, is the Office of Attorney General’s dedicated full-time agent who coordinates PA LETI. Her work includes training, writing policies for each participating county, providing sample policies and documents, and convening key community stakeholders.
District Attorneys in Pennsylvania interested in starting a PA LETI program should contact the Office of Attorney General at 570-826-2483.
# # #