“When I ran for District Attorney, I said we needed a three-pronged approach to fight the drug epidemic in Bradford County,” Salsman said. “Education, Treatment, and Enforcement,” Salsman said. “Until the schools fully open up, I am not able to deliver my school presentations to the students to satisfy the Education prong,” Salsman said. “The Enforcement prong has been satisfied with the creation of our new Drug Task Force. The LETI program is a way to satisfy the Treatment prong,” Salsman said.
The LETI Program has five main goals: 1) Reduce deaths, overdoses, and crime associated with drug addiction by getting individuals with substance use disorders into treatment; 2) Reduce stigma associated with substance use disorder; 3) Strengthen police-community relationships by encouraging individuals with a substance use disorder to seek help from law enforcement; 4) Train law enforcement officers in how better to help individuals suffering from a substance use disorder; and 5) Connect individuals with organizations that are ready, willing, and able to provide help.
The Bradford County LETI program is a harm reduction approach that seeks to accomplish the goals of reducing criminal behavior and improving public safety by connecting low-level offenders suffering from a substance use disorder with treatment and other community resources.
The LETI Program allows any Bradford County law enforcement agency to serve as an initial point of contact for an individual with a substance use disorder who is seeking positive changes in his or her life. Under the LETI Program, that individual may present himself or herself to a law enforcement agency or officer who will facilitate entering immediate treatment with a treatment provider. Individuals will be evaluated for their eligibility to enter the program. Policies and procedures have been created by the Bradford County District Attorney’s Office to facilitate the program.
“If this program only saves one life, it is worth it,” Salsman said. “I would like to thank the Attorney General’s Office for partnering with me in bringing this program to Bradford County.”