Revolutionising Policing through Partnerships

Revolutionising Policing through Partnerships

As part of the continuous effort to mitigate the impact of illegal drug use, Lumi Drug Scan was developed to allow frontline police to safely analyse drug samples anywhere and at any time. Policing is defined by complexity and demands an endeavour of expertise and specialisation from both within and beyond the police force. Against this backdrop, partnerships are paramount.

The ANZPAA Police Conference 2023 (PC23) explored the multifaceted world of policing and how a diverse range of partnerships can enhance opportunities across multiple domains. PC23 featured partnerships that drive innovation and strengthen relationships, including one between New Zealand Police and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) that led to the development of Lumi Drug Scan. Lumi has transformed the frontline screening of intercepted illicit drug samples in New Zealand.

PC23 featured partnerships that drive innovation and strengthen relationships, including one between New Zealand Police and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) that led to the development of Lumi Drug Scan. Lumi has transformed the frontline screening of intercepted illicit drug samples in New Zealand.

As part of the continuous effort to mitigate the impact of illegal drug use, Lumi Drug Scan was developed to allow frontline police to safely analyse drug samples anywhere and at any time. Instant scientific results generated by Lumi enables evidence informed decision making, improving the speed and reliability of resolutions and contributes to drug harm reduction within communities. To achieve this Lumi combines an affordable handheld near-infrared device, a mobile phone application, with cloud-hosted machine learning drug detection models.

Dion Sheppard, manager of ESR’s Lumi Drug Scan service and PC23 speaker, explains how prior to the co-development of Lumi, New Zealand Police didn’t have access to the tools they needed to test suspected drug samples at the point of interception. Laboratory analysis took time, colour tests were prone to false positives and exposed users to potentially harmful chemicals. Likewise, handheld devices have previously been too expensive, limiting their deployment.

The problem facing New Zealand Police was significant. Approximately 10,000 drug samples are seized each year by New Zealand Police. 

Dion cites the combination of ESR’s forensic science expertise and New Zealand Police’s frontline knowledge as being critical in the success of the project, noting that “partnerships like this are essential to the development of novel approaches to crime and policing, allowing us to leverage each other’s expertise. It’s clear that neither organisation could have successfully developed Lumi Drug Scan on their own.”

An important aspect during Lumi’s deployment was ensuring that it complemented existing processes. The Lumi workflow was co-designed with frontline staff to integrate into existing police drug seizure processes. It provides real-time scientific results to support police officer decision-making. Stakeholder, community, and iwi (tribes) engagement helped direct the approach to using Lumi in the field. Completing the Lumi analysis in front of the individual they’re engaging with, is an open approach that supports procedural justice and transparency, contributing to trust and confidence in police.

For New Zealand Police, real-time results are transforming the conversation at the frontline. Dion says “staff are no longer stuck in a debate about what the sample might be The real-time Lumi result are resulting in individuals accepting the finding and then focusing on how to reduce the harm caused by drugs.” To date, over 1,700 staff have been trained to use the 150 Lumi devices deployed by NZ Police.

To support this scale of deployment a comprehensive training programme, e-learning module, and online help site were created, ensuring a consistent approach to on-boarding and field use. Dion notes that a key benefit to the Lumi approach is the ability to deploy at scale. The combination of an affordable device and machine learning drug detection models means that it’s possible to have hundreds of devices available at the frontline and 24-7 analysis of intercepted samples. “Staff don’t need to travel to a hub or wait for someone else to analyse a suspected drug sample for them. They have access to real-time testing where they need it and can use these results to improve their decision making at the point of sample interception.”

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