The Mesa Miles Project -- Tackling Opioid Overdoses and Crime

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Probation officers have many duties with the most important aspect of their job being the enhancement of community safety. Officers take on their responsibilities in a variety of ways, most directly working with probationers to provide tools toward behavior change. The Maricopa County Adult Probation Department (APD) and the Mesa Police Department (Arizona) entered into a collaborative program to address a common high crime area and the opioid problem within the City of Mesa. Targeted, enhanced probation contacts and searches were conducted jointly by probation and police officers. The program resulted in targeted criminal arrests and the removal of illicit drugs to bolster community safety and save lives. The Mesa Miles Project was developed not only to address crime and drug issues, but to save the lives of community members, including those on probation.