City police will begin distributing “harm reduction kits,” including clean syringes and glass pipes, with hopes of keeping those battling drug addiction alive until they are able to commit to seek treatment. Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said officers often seize and discard needles and pipes, among other paraphernalia, when making an arrest. But often times, once people are released from custody, they rush to use, driven by addiction — and use unsafe or unfamiliar equipment, placing at them at greater risk of overdosing or contracting HIV. “While many think that the primary responsibility of police is to protect and enforce the laws,...
