Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in the City of Albany

As the United States addresses the urgent crisis of mass criminalization and incarceration, there is a clear need to find viable, effective alternatives, particularly at the front end by preventing people from entering the criminal justice system unnecessarily. This task requires assessing government’s current response to safety, disorder, and health-related problems; critically re-examining the role that police officers are asked to play in our communities; and developing alternative-system responses independent of the justice system, while finding ways to improve relationships between the police and those they serve. Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a response to these gaps. LEAD uses police diversion and community-based, trauma-informed care systems, with  the goals of improving public safety and public order, and reducing law violations by people who participate in the program.