Innovative Community Policing | Matt Lennick | TEDxBillings

Summary

Matt Lennick, a police officer from Billings, shares his journey in implementing a community policing model to address quality of life crimes. After traditional law enforcement methods failed to resolve issues like public drinking and loitering, he and his team adopted San Diego's Serial Inebriate Program, integrating a treatment-focused approach. This innovative strategy, known as MAAP, offers individuals the choice of treatment over jail, leading to significant reductions in citations and a transformative impact on offenders' lives, aligning with the core motivation to help people.

Takeaways

• 👮 Matt Lennick is a police officer with the Billings Police Department, having served for over 11 years in various roles.
• 👉 In 2013, Matt was assigned as a Downtown Resource Officer, focusing on community policing within a 200 square block area in Billings.
• 🤝 Community policing involves a partnership approach where police work with the community to address issues collectively.
• 🗣️ Initial community concerns included transiency, street disorder, public drinking, loitering, and trespassing, impacting quality of life.
• 🔍 Matt and his partner Officer Nichols initially responded by enforcing laws and issuing citations, but this did not effectively address the root causes.
• 🏥 The San Diego Serial Inebriate Program (SIP) and Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) were identified as successful models for addressing addiction and homelessness.
• 🆕 The Motivated Addiction Alternative Program (MAAP) was created, inspired by SIP and HOT, to offer treatment as an alternative to jail for those with addiction issues.
• 🛑 MAAP includes a Resource Outreach Coordinator (ROC), a licensed addictions counselor, who assists in connecting individuals with treatment options.
• 📊 A sentencing structure was established with the court system to increase penalties for repeat offenses and incentivize treatment.
• 📉 MAAP has seen a reduction in open container citations and calls for service, indicating a positive impact on the community.
• 💌 A MAAP client's letter highlights the program's success in helping individuals choose treatment and work towards a better life.

Q & A

Who is Matt Lennick and what is his role in the Billings Police Department?

Matt Lennick is a police officer with the Billings Police Department. He has been an officer for over 11 years and has held various assignments, including patrolling, leading community watch groups, participating in the Adopt a Cop Program, and being a field training officer. His most meaningful assignment was as a Downtown Resource Officer, where he patrols a 200 square block area using a community policing model.

What is the definition of community policing as described in the script?

Community policing, as described in the script, is a partnership approach used by the police to deal with certain issues. It involves talking to everyone involved, learning about the problem together, and then making a collective decision on how best to combat the issue.

What were the major concerns identified by the community in the downtown area of Billings?

The major concerns identified by the community in the downtown area of Billings were transiency, street disorder, public drinking, loitering, and trespassing, which are commonly referred to as quality of life crimes.

What was the initial approach taken by Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols to address the identified issues?

The initial approach taken by Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols was to enforce the law strictly. They went out and arrested, wrote citations, and issued warnings to everyone they found violating laws related to quality of life crimes.

How many citations and arrests were made in one year by Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols in their initial approach?

In one year, Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols wrote 618 open container citations and arrested 474 people.

What realization did Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols come to after their initial approach?

Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols realized that despite their strict enforcement, they were not seeing the impact they expected. The same businesses were still reporting the same crimes involving the same individuals, indicating that a new approach was needed.

What program from the city of San Diego did Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols look to for inspiration?

Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols looked to the Serial Inebriate Program (SIP) and the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) from the city of San Diego for inspiration. These programs successfully deal with individuals suffering from alcoholism and other addictions by using criminal charges as a way to incentivize treatment instead of jail.

What is the Motivated Addiction Alternative Program (MAAP) and how did it originate?

The Motivated Addiction Alternative Program (MAAP) originated from the inspiration Matt Lennick and Officer Nichols gained from San Diego's SIP and HOT programs. MAAP focuses on offering treatment to individuals with addictions instead of jail time, aiming to help them make life-changing choices.

What role does the Resource Outreach Coordinator (ROC) play in the MAAP?

The Resource Outreach Coordinator (ROC) is a licensed addictions counselor who began riding with the officers on the street in March 2015 and operates an intensive outreach treatment group. The ROC's connections to the treatment world and knowledge about addictions are key to the success of MAAP.

How does the MAAP sentencing structure work in the court system?

The MAAP sentencing structure increases penalties for certain crimes and sets guidelines based on the number of offenses in a 30-day period. This incentivizes individuals to choose treatment options. If an individual has less than five offenses in a 30-day period, they are offered the choice of speaking with a counselor about treatment options or receiving a citation. If it is their fifth or greater offense, they are incarcerated.

What impact has the MAAP had on the community and the individuals involved?

The MAAP has had a significant impact on the community by reducing open container citations and other calls for service. It has also provided a vast group of people in desperate need of help with treatment options. Less than 10% of the cases have chosen to sit in jail versus attempting some level of treatment. The program has changed lives, including those of the individuals on the street, the people working and living downtown, and the officers themselves.