Is Saskatoon ready for drug decriminalization? City, police officials say not yet

A committee room of Metropolis of Saskatoon and police officers discussing the decriminalization of small quantities of medicine Wednesday afternoon repeatedly returned to the query: would that be placing the cart earlier than the horse?

Saskatoon police prison investigation Supt. Patrick Nogier first raised that query on the particular joint assembly of Saskatoon metropolis committee and Board of Police Commissioners members, referring to the well being and help companies the town would want for substance customers if the town selected to decriminalize some drug possession.

Mayor Charlie Clark additionally pointed to “some vital gaps proper now in having the ability to reply to the disaster that has effects on addictions … in our group.”

He listed off lengthy wait lists for therapy, which is generally designed to deal with folks hooked on alcohol somewhat than different substances. 

In April, the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners reviewed reviews on decriminalization and determined to push the matter ahead to Wednesday’s assembly with the metropolis’s governance and priorities committee.

A report authored by two College of Saskatchewan researchers submitted to the police board in April mentioned decriminalization would profit individuals who use medicine and society as a complete.

The decriminalization of easy possession is one device that may stabilize or cut back the hurt for folks dwelling with addictions, researchers Lori Hanson and Barbara Fornssler wrote. 

The report mentioned there was proof to counsel decriminalization “might successfully cut back drug toxicity deaths by lowering publicity to a poisonous and unregulated drug provide.”

Advantages would additionally embrace elevated entry to hurt discount companies that may reduce illness transmission, higher relationships with police, much less work for police, and decrease prices for the well being and authorized programs, the report mentioned.

Final month, the federal and B.C. governments introduced a three-year pilot undertaking — the primary of its form in Canada — that can enable folks in B.C. who’re 18 and older to own as much as a cumulative 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA, with out threat of arrest, cost or seizure.

Officers at Wednesday’s assembly favoured watching the B.C. pilot, hoping to achieve some perception into the opportunity of implementing it in Saskatoon.

“What I noticed in the present day was an actual need from our group to do what’s finest for our people who find themselves struggling,” mentioned Saskatoon police Chief Troy Cooper.

“By analyzing what our present state is and analyzing the info we see out of B.C., we’ll be capable to make good choices.”

Metropolis ought to try for decriminalization: report

The researchers’ report recommends the town and police try to make Saskatoon the primary Canadian Prairie metropolis the place easy drug possession is decriminalized.

That might require an exemption from Well being Canada. Till then, they steered the metropolis might have legislation enforcement officers chorus from imposing prison fees on folks discovered with a private quantity of unlawful medicine.

That is one thing Cooper says officers are already doing in Saskatoon, in a “de facto” decriminalization.

“We nonetheless cost folks, though not often, with easy possession,” he mentioned, noting fees are sometimes solely sought in extenuating circumstances, like when the particular person has an excellent warrant. 

Sometimes, officers keep away from the costs, and when they’re laid, they’re withdrawn almost 80 per cent of the time, he mentioned.

The police power is predicted to deliver extra statistics to the desk within the fall, contemplating what sort of fees the police are laying, how usually they’re laid and the way they play out.

At that time, the town may have an opportunity to think about B.C.’s expertise and the Saskatoon police information.

Sask. authorities not supportive of coverage

The Saskatchewan authorities said earlier this month that it could not pursue a coverage like B.C.’s.

Clark mentioned missing that alignment from all ranges of presidency “makes it very troublesome to successfully reply to what is going on on locally.”

“We now have work to do to get all of the events working collectively,” however can study from B.C.’s expertise within the meantime, he mentioned.

Cooper mentioned it does not make sense for a municipality to make coverage modifications, and steered Saskatoon’s decriminalization lies in Ottawa’s palms.

Hanson and Fornssler’s report mentioned that “world proof … clearly reveals that drug prohibition doesn’t cut back drug use, and decriminalization doesn’t enhance drug use.”

Additionally they warned there are penalties to sticking with the established order.

In that state of affairs, present charges “of opioid poisoning deaths, HIV/AIDS in Saskatoon, incarceration charges, or disparities skilled by BIPOC within the metropolis … might worsen,” they wrote.

They inspired the formation of a multi-agency group to deal with hurt discount and drug toxicity within the metropolis, with decriminalization as one device. 

A report from Cooper that features localized statistics was additionally included within the agenda for Wednesday. 

It, too, was put ahead to the board of police commissioners in April.

It concluded that the analysis of evidence-based hurt discount methods is finest completed by post-secondary-based analysis proposals, and beneficial the board contemplate the analysis report.