Starting today, Thursday, October 5, 2023, the Peterborough Police Service will be taking a no tolerance approach when it comes to open air illicit drug use in our community.

“We are aware that there will be people that are both accepting of this stance and those who are not. As we adopt this approach, it is important to acknowledge that addiction is an illness, and it is not the intent of the Peterborough Police Service to criminalize those who are afflicted with this illness. The intent is to promote the message that the Service is committed to safer public spaces for all residents. We will continue to work within a system that supports those whose mandate is the promotion of public health, and while we know it is an imperfect system, public safety cannot wait for perfection.” – Chief Stuart Betts.

The Safer Public Spaces approach is about balancing the needs and expectations of all residents in our community. The Service understands and recognizes the need for a compassionate response for those suffering with addictions and expects officers to be kind in their engagements with individuals. The Service also knows that the community expects that public places such as parks, places of business, and most importantly places where our children go such as playgrounds should also be safe.

It means that if officers see open air illicit drug use or if/when we receive a call for service from a concerned resident we will attend and direct that person to stop and move to a different location. The Service will ensure people are provided information (if they choose to accept it) that speaks to the resources available in our community.

The decision to implement the Safer Public Spaces approach is one that builds upon the information in the Community Safety Well-Being Plan around feelings of safety. It is very concerning when we see that only 48% of survey respondents feel safe or very safe in their community and that for 71% of survey respondents feelings of safety influence where they go and what they do in our city. We have been asking ourselves what can we do as a police service to be part of the solution that balances compassion, yet promotes a safer city for all?

In the Polices Services Act, police services have five core responsibilities, and we feel that this approach fulfills two of the primary pillars, being crime prevention and law enforcement.

In order to understand the impact of promoting Safer Public Spaces, the Peterborough Police Service has established key performance indicators to measure impacts, including the number of calls associated with this approach, whether they are officer or citizen generated, locations where engagements are taking place, the types of illicit substances that are encountered as well as referrals to community supports such as the Consumption Treatment Site (CTS), referral to the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team and/or diversion to a community program, and where appropriate, whether or not an arrest was required.

“The overall severity of crime has increased in our city over the past five years, while our clearance rates have continued to decrease. We also know that much of the violent crime in our community, in the past few years, has been connected to the proliferation of illicit drugs. The drugs in our community are not only dangerous and unsafe, but they bring with them a level of violence to the people using them and by extension, to others in community. By using the Safer Public Spaces approach we hope to give the community back a sense of safety.” – Chief Betts.

As we learn more about the impact of this approach we will continue to engage with key stakeholders and share information about our findings with the public.

Video of Media Conference Thursday, Oct 5, 2023: https://youtu.be/YOEQ-efczKk

Follow Up Interview w Global News Friday, Oct 6, 2023: https://youtu.be/sF70MTofQpY

No one in our community should be at risk of being a victim of crime, or feel unsafe to walk down the street, visit a park or shop at a store. In the approved Community Safety & Well-Being Plan survey respondents stated that only 48% feel safe or very safe in their community and the 71% say feelings about safety influence what they do and where they go in their community.

We have heard, loud and clearly, that there is concern that drugs are freely consumed whenever and wherever across the city. Far too often, these substances cause reasonable people to engage in unreasonable and unpredictable behaviour, and this makes people feel unsafe and they want their police to do something about it.

Community Safety & Well Being Plan Information:

• 67% of survey respondents in the city perceive that crime has increased in their community.
• 50% of survey respondents in the city would recommend their community as a good place to live.
• 48% of survey respondents in the city feel safe or very safe in their community.
• 71% of survey respondents in the city note that feelings about safety influences what they do or where they go.
• 50% of survey respondents in the city state that more police would make them feel significantly or quite a bit safer.
• 86% of survey respondents in the city state policing is very important or important.

The objective is to send a clear message that all public spaces should be considered safe for all residents.

In addition to directing people to stop using their drugs in public places, our officers also carry Naloxone and are trained in its use. They will also be directed to offer information to individuals about community resources. As a pillar partner of the Peterborough Drug Strategy, our role around enforcement is to strengthen community safety by preventing and responding to the crimes and community disorder issues associated with legal and illegal substances. This approach helps us fulfill this commitment within the strategy.

These resources are listed on pages 39-40 of the Community Safety Well-Being Plan

Community Resources: 

• Early Warning System: Since 2013, PDS partners have been using a system to rapidly inform agencies and the media about suspected toxic drug supply circulating in the area.
• Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic (RAAM Clinic) - 432 George Street North - (705) 749-9708
• Fourcast - Withdrawal Management - #200-130 Hunter Street West - 1-800-461-1909
• Right to Heal Ptbo - 271 Brock Street -705-874-3048

24-Hour Services

• National Overdose Response Service - 1-888-688-6677
• 4 county Crisis - 705-745-6484 or Toll- Free 1-866-995-9933
• Community Social Services Help Line - 2-1-1
• Telecare Distress Line - 705-745-2273
• Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre Crisis Line - 1-866-298-7778

We have heard from residents, business owners, members of council that they have concerns about people openly using their drugs in public places in our community. Many have expressed concerns about safety. It’s an issue we are frequently asked about and that often comes with the question about why can’t officers stop them? Well, this is what we are going to do. We will direct them to stop doing what they are doing and offer information about community resources. Failure to follow this direction will mean the individual will be arrested, and we will seize the drugs for destruction.

Collectively, we have all walked past this behaviour for far too long, and we will no longer do that.

Officers maintain their discretion with regard to laying charges, though we know the Courts are focused on the most serious of offences and has limited prosecution for simple possession charges to what they refer to as ‘serious manifestations’, the most notable being where the offence is committed in the vicinity of places frequented by children or young persons as well as if preparing to operate a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon or performing an activity posing a risk to public health or safety.

Peterborough Police Service is the first in the province to take this approach. Edmonton has moved forward with a similar approach, and we have been in regular contact with them. Recently, the Government of British Columbia announced that while the decriminalization pilot continues, there will be restrictions on where drug use will be allowed to happen.

The situation in Edmonton has focused on random acts of violence associated with the proliferation of drug use. We have not yet experienced that same impact, and by taking this action, we hope to avoid getting to that point.

It has long been acknowledged that safer communities require a whole systems-approach, but we also acknowledge that we are currently working within an imperfect system, and public safety cannot wait for perfection.

The Safe Streets Act applies to how officers can address panhandling. It does not have provisions for illicit drug usage. Actions promoting Safer Public Spaces fall under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

No, this is about criminal behaviour, and there are appropriate laws in place to address it.

Upon attending, as a result of a call for service, or observing a person(s) using illicit drugs in public spaces, officers will approach and if an offence is taking place, they will arrest the person(s) involved. This will necessitate handcuffing the individual, searching them, in accordance with common law authority, and either releasing them unconditionally (without their drugs) or proceeding with charges, which may require transport to the police station or release at the scene as prescribed in law.

Should the individual have any outstanding law enforcement matters e.g. a warrant for arrest; the officer will address that issue as well.

The safety of all. People expect to be able to attend public spaces and be safe. We know our community has a high level of compassion for those in need, but at the same time they expect the police to make sure public spaces are safe for all residents. They want us to uphold the law, but to do it in a way that is respectful and compassionate.

Our goal is to ensure safe public places for all our residents. As mentioned, officers will be equipped with resources to pass along, and in some case may be able to direct individuals to diversion opportunities if they arise.

We are conscious of the need to balance no tolerance with the need of ensuring people are provided information (if they choose to accept it) that speaks to the resources available in our community.

We have reached out to our community partners one by one, and will continue to do so, to ensure that they are aware of this change, and to have important discussions about what it means for us, for them, and for their clients.

As with any change in approach we anticipate there will be some concern and we will be open to working with anyone to help ensure our public places are safe places for all members of our community. This approach is probably going to come with some bumps, but we will approach those as we always do with an underlying commitment to safety.

We also anticipate that this approach may be a springboard for advocacy for improved service or funding for additional treatment and rehabilitation services in the community.

At this time there isn’t a comparable space for safe inhalation, and we respect the rights of those who will choose to advocate for that.

What we are going to be doing is a different approach and will look different to the community. In my time here as Chief I have been very open about being as transparent as possible about what we do, and why we do it. It’s important to communicate with the community about what our actions will be in their community, so, when they see us approaching or speaking to an individual they know what to expect and why we are doing that.

We are currently focused on public spaces, such as parks, playgrounds, bus shelters, storefronts etc.; however, we will continue to work with City staff as the encampment space develops and expectations of those using that space are determined.

We will be recording:

• How many interactions our officers have
• Whether those interaction are officer or citizen generated
• What was the end result of the call for service? E.g., did the person move along, were they arrested, or were they provided some other form of referral such as diversion
• We are also mapping where these calls for service come in from, and where the interactions take place

Upon attending, as a result of a call for service, or observing a person(s) using illicit drugs in public spaces, officers will approach and if an offence is taking place, they will arrest the person(s) involved. This will necessitate handcuffing the individual, searching them, in accordance with common law authority, and either releasing them unconditionally (without their drugs) or proceeding with charges, which may require transport to the police station or release at the scene as prescribed in law.