The excuses don’t wash. All police officers must be allowed to carry naloxone

200 years ago, Sir Robert Peel laid the foundations of modern policing which are still in place today. Peel’s nine principles include policing by consent and to prevent crime through impartial service. An equally vital mission was that to protect and preserve life.

Two centuries on, those principles still guide how the police earn their legitimacy in our communities. Yet, in a rapidly changing landscape, where drug-related harm is rising, with the likes of nitazenes, synthetic opioids which can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin on our streets, the police also need to effectively be equipped to keep people safe.

It’s clear in my sector, at an organisation which provides drug and alcohol services to communities across the UK, that preserving life must mean that as many people as possible, especially those in public facing roles, carry naloxone.

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Naloxone is a remarkably effective medicine used to treat the effects of an opioid overdose and prevent death. It is relatively cheap, easy to administer and has few associated risks. Police are often the first responders to incidents of overdose and most police forces have officers who carry the life-saving medication.

Police officers carrying naloxone has saved lives and helped to build much needed trust between communities and people who use drugs and police. It was alarming to read in Big Issue that Greater Manchester and Suffolk police forces state that they did not have plans to equip their officers with naloxone.

Since I helped to lead West Midlands Police to become the first force to carry naloxone in 2019, we’ve seen effectively every other police force either begin carrying the medication or working to implement it. The excuses from Suffolk and Greater Manchester forces just don’t wash.

This is not just a problem for the cohort we normally associate with opioid use, as nitazene prevalence in other drugs means the stakes are higher for anyone wishing to roll the dice by purchasing controlled substances.

The issue of synthetic opioids is a public health emergency waiting to happen, we must prepare before it’s too late and we see a position like North America which is still reeling from the damage caused by this new potent threat.

All police forces carrying naloxone will not be a panacea to avert this crisis, but it will certainly save lives. Police regularly patrol through city centres unearthing crisis situations. When West Midlands Police began carrying naloxone, people who use drugs said that their trust and confidence with the police would increase.

This isn’t controversial anymore, it’s common sense. The police and crime commissioner for Suffolk and mayor in Greater Manchester could easily implement this into their forces. Andy Burnham has committed to this in his new Police and Crime Plan, and given he has been forthright in his mission to address rough sleeping, he should also be ensuring that officers are equipped to respond to opioid overdoses with haste.

Without the tools to manage overdose, officers will be inhibited in being able to deliver on the fundamental principle of British policing, to protect and preserve life.

Megan Jones is the director of new business and services at the charity Cranstoun and was formerly head of policy for the West Midlands police and crime commissioner.

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