There will still be people “struggling on our streets” with mental illness, addiction, intoxication or anger issues, Del Manak says
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak says if drug consumption in public places is recriminalized, enforcement will be swift and street-level changes will be evident — but it won’t be a panacea.
The province — which in 2021 asked the federal government to “decriminalize” possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use — asked Health Canada on Friday to amend its exemption from drug laws to “re-criminalize” both possession and use in public places. A statement from B.C.’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said the province had received a request for more information on Wednesday morning and it had already responded with additional data on substance use along with possible guidance for police.
The premier added that if decriminalization was scrapped, people who use drugs would not be able to use toxic-drug testing services or supervised consumption sites because they would fear arrest. “They’ve got to pack up their belongings or their drugs and they need to go indoors,” said Manak. “The hope is that people will be compliant.”
Manak said he expects immediate, long-term changes on the tent-lined Pandora Avenue, where homelessness, violence, drug deals and drug consumption are on full display.
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