The Inter-Mountain photo by Dan Geohagan Elkins Police Chief Glenn Galloway talks about some of the new improvements to the force as well as the new LEAD program during Monday’s Elkins Rotary Club meeting.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Dan Geohagan
Elkins Police Chief Glenn Galloway talks about some of the new improvements to the force as well as the new LEAD program during Monday’s Elkins Rotary Club meeting.

ELKINS– The Elkins Police chief spoke about a new program his department has begun during Monday’s Elkins Rotary Club meeting.

Chief Glenn Galloway, a Huntington native, first started in law enforcement in 1989, working with the West Virginia State Police until retiring in 2015. Upon hearing of Elkins seeking a chief he applied and interviewed for the position.

Along with a host of improvements that the chief has provided for the agency, such as providing opportunities to acquire more tools and equipment, is a partnership with Appalachian Community Health Center, which was awarded $60,000 through a LEAD grant.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has awarded $480,000 to expand the statewide capacity of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs that divert adults with a substance use disorder or a co-occurring disorder (substance use disorder and mental health issues) from the criminal justice system to community-based services.

LEAD services allow public safety officials to work with behavioral health providers by diverting low-level drug offenders to treatment and support services, rather than jail and prosecution. LEAD case managers work with participants to connect them to intensive interventions such as assertive community treatment, residential SUD services, comprehensive case management, medication assisted treatment, and other support services.

“The ultimate goal of LEAD programs is to improve public safety,” said Susie Mullens, interim director of the DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy. “With this funding, individuals will be provided an opportunity to get the help they need to address the issues which likely brought them to the attention of law enforcement.”

This provides residents who commit small level drug-related misdemeanors who go through municipal court with a chance to seek help through another source besides drug court or Community Corrections.

The LEAD program started in Elkins on March 1, and has just accepted its first person recommended through the program. With the grant being approved in February, concerns surrounding the program are that the grant will end June 30 of this year and may not provide enough time to show effective results before it can be renewed.

Also on Monday, a new member joined the Elkins Rotary Club, Dr. Andrew Hunt, who was sponsored by his wife, Dr. Sheena Hunt, both of Eye Works in Elkins.