IACP Track

Practical Examples of Sobering Centers as an Alternative to Arrest

Location: D225/226, KBHCC

MS

Megan Stoltz, Ph.D.

Program Manager
IACP
Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Joseph Chacon

Chief of Police
Austin Police Department
Austin, Texas, United States
Michael Lee

Assistant Chief of Police
Harris County Sheriff's Office, United States
Laura Elmore

Executive Director
The Sobering Center, United States
Leonard Kincaid

Executive Director
Houston Recovery Center, United States

Sobering centers provide an alternative to arrest for non-violent incidents of public intoxication. This session will present the collaborative work of police and mental health practitioners through sobering centers in two cities. Panelists will share the unique challenges they’ve faced in implementing sobering centers, as well as their successes, providing operational examples. Data on the centers’ effects on criminal justice outcomes such as recidivism and financial cost will also be presented.