Arrest Referral Workers
West Midlands Police employs specially trained Arrest Referral Workers (ARWs), who are based in police custody suites.
ARWs are essential to the success of drugs programme because they form the vital link between drug-misusing offenders who are in police custody and the drug treatment services. They will provide rapid access to services and will assist in dealing with the needs of the individual.
Arrest referral uses the point of arrest as a vital opportunity for drug workers to make that contact with drug users, independent of the police.