8th International Conference on Law Enforcement and Public Health (LEPH2026)

When? 6–9 September 2026
Where? Leeds, United Kingdom

The Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA) and the ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre will jointly host the 8th International Law Enforcement and Public Health Conference, LEPH2026 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK from 6-9 September 2026.

The 2026 overarching theme will be vulnerability, policing and public health.

The conference will be open to law enforcement and public health agencies, national and local governments, relevant research bodies, academic institutes, policy makers as well as the commercial sector and other partner organisations.

Pre-conference workshop: Law Enforcement, Drug Policy and Harm Reduction

Ahead of LEPH2026, a two-day Law Enforcement, Drug Policy and Harm Reduction Workshop will take place on 4–5 September 2026, from 09:00 to 17:00, at Cloth Hall Court, Leeds.

The workshop will bring together law enforcement, public health, policy and research communities to explore how policing can better contribute to public health goals, harm reduction, community safety and human rights. It will focus on the relationship between law enforcement and public health responses to drug use, examining practical approaches that can reduce the harms associated with punitive drug policies while improving access to health and support.

Designed as a working session rather than a lecture series, the workshop will provide space to share experiences, examine evidence and discuss practical reforms across different jurisdictions. Sessions will address police-led drug diversion, the roll-out of naloxone among police officers, lessons from harm reduction policing in the Netherlands, the case for redirecting resources away from criminalisation and towards health and communities, and the role of evidence and public communication in drugs policing.

The workshop is convened by GLEPHA’s Special Interest Group on Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and Transform Drug Policy Foundation.

It is co-convened by Dr Melissa Jardine, international policing consultant, GLEPHA Co-founder and Fellow, and Dr Tracey Price-Allan, Head of Social Research at Urban Foresight and GLEPHA Board member.

Speakers include:

• Tom Andrews, Senior Lecturer in Policing, University of Derby
• Dr Matthew Bacon, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Sheffield
• Ruben Boomsma, Chair, Law Enforcement Action Partnership Netherlands (LEAPNL)
• Ailish Brennan, Policy Analyst and Campaigner, Harm Reduction International
• Assistant Commissioner (ret’d) Gary Ritchie, Global Consortium Group | Edinburgh Napier University
• Professor Alex Stevens, Professor of Criminology, University of Sheffield
• Neil Woods, Director, OEV Partners | former Board member, Law Enforcement Action Partnership

The workshop continues a series of meetings held alongside LEPH conferences to strengthen dialogue between law enforcement and public health actors and identify more effective and humane approaches to drug policy. Participants will be encouraged to exchange practical experience, build connections across sectors and contribute to recommendations on harm reduction policing and future drug policy reform.