By Casey Neill
Swapping fines for treatment has transformed lives and earned two police officers Divisional Commendations.
The Dandenong-based Alcohol Diversion Program has engaged 39 people, accounted for $600,000 in unpaid fines and cut drunk and disorderly offences by about 30 per cent.
It will be showcased as a crime prevention tool in Amsterdam next month.
Spearheads Senior Sergeant Frank Bodor and Senior Constable Elyse Mason were honoured for their efforts at the Victoria Police Southern Metro Region Division Three award ceremony at Dandenong Civic Centre on Tuesday 4 October.
“It’s outside the normal policing methods and it gives us another tool to be able to provide options for the people that we’re dealing with,” Sen Sgt Bodor said.
“It was actually my thought bubble from the beginning.
“It started two and a half years ago when I was on the road at Dandenong and we experienced the same clients for offences of drunk and drunk and disorderly basically coming through the door on a rotational basis.
“We had no other alternative or options available to us other than infringement notices.
“We really weren’t addressing the issue at hand – it’s more of a health issue than it is a criminal issue, from our perspective, for a lot of these people.”
The program is voluntary.
“We would introduce the program to the client. If they elected to participate, they would sign an agreement,” Sen Sgt Bodor said.
The officer contacts the Sheriff’s department to identify outstanding fines and has those warrants listed at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
“They would be assessed by the treatment providers and have a treatment program modelled to their needs,” he said.
“That turnaround is generally in one to two days. It’s rapid access into those treatment programs.”
A return court date is set, where the treatment provider details the client’s progress.
“The magistrate would determine how long they would be on the program for, and wave fines,” Sen Sgt Bodor said.
“We get a few of them that turn around and say that they wouldn’t have engaged with the treatment without the program.
“We’ve seen some remarkable health improvements.”
He said one client engaged in the program had been arrested 196 times. Many had more than 100 contacts before participating, and zero after.
“These people spend a minimum four hours in the cells and that needs to be monitored by police,” he said.
“This program allows us to release our members back into the field to deal with operational policing.
“What we’ve also noticed is attitude change towards police.
“Whereas some of our clients would be quite confrontational in the beginning, aggressive and non-compliant.
“Now our members can have a lucid conversation with them out in the street.”
Sen Sgt Bodor said the program could spread to other regions.
Call Senior Constable Carol Williams at Dandenong Police Station on 9767 7444 for more information.
