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'long overdue': calgary police join call to decriminalize personal drug possession

personal possession of illicit drugs should be decrimin...

by calgary herald

jul 10 2020
read time 4 minute read
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calgary police echo call for decriminalizing personal drug possession
calgary police sgt. chris ogwal, left, and const. steve ross patrol the beltline near the sheldon m. chumir health centre on sept. 24, 2019. jim wells/postmedia

by: jason herring

personal possession of illicit drugs should be decriminalized to protect vulnerable populations, the calgary police service said thursday.
the statement came after canada’s police chiefs released a report saying decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of illicit drugs for personal consumption will help battle substance abuse and addiction.

the canadian association of chiefs of police (cacp) proposed increased access to health care, treatment and social services to divert people away from the criminal justice system, as well as creation of a national task force to research drug policy reform.

enforcement and judicial efforts would continue to focus on trafficking and the illegal production and importation of drugs, the chiefs said.
it’s a stance that cps said they support.
“the calgary police service has moved in this direction for several years now — we seek not to criminalize addiction but to focus our efforts on those who would prey on the vulnerably addicted,” cps said in a statement.
“complex issues of substance abuse cannot be solved in isolation. we are committed to continuing to work with our many community partners to provide a balanced approach of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and alternative judicial measures such as the calgary drug treatment court.”
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professor doug king, who teaches justice studies at mount royal university, said the report is “cutting edge” but will also be “extremely controversial” considering its endorsement of not just treatment, enforcement and prevention, but harm reduction services, including supervised consumption sites.
he said it’s important to note the cacp are not actually pushing for changes to the criminal code, but are instead identifying ways to divert those with substance-abuse issues away from the criminal justice system.
“the one thing that’s important from the report is that the head of policing in canada, the cacp, recognizes that people who, for the most part, get picked up for simple possession are people who have significant medical and psychological needs. throwing them into the criminal justice system is not going to help them in any way,” said king.
“it’s encouraging, from my perspective, that the cacp are finally saying people have addiction problems and that these addiction problems are driving their criminality, and we need to do something.”
the decriminalization of personal drug use is similar to what was introduced in portugal in 2001, said dr. monty ghosh, a calgary addictions physician.
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in portugal, those carrying small quantities of illicit drugs don’t face punitive measures and are instead directed toward social services such as addictions therapy, a policy change credited for a drastic decrease in overdose deaths in that country. canadian academics and activists have long advocated for a similar model, ghosh said.
“i think it’s long overdue. the conversation has been happening for a long time now,” ghosh said. “it’s a more sustainable model, it’s cost-effective and it’s client-oriented. it’s all about getting the client the supports they need instead of punishing them.”
properly implementing the strategy would take a significant investment of money and time, ghosh said, but it’s a “better long-term strategy than people cycling in and out of the system.”
however, king said any changes to policing of drug possession will require provincial and territorial support. it will also take “some significant political influence” to move toward decriminalization, he said. he added that in alberta, it could draw friction from those who are less supportive of harm reduction strategies.
when reached thursday, a spokesperson for alberta justice minister doug schweitzer declined to comment on the cacp call, saying relevant legislation is under federal jurisdiction.

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the report will start a much-needed dialogue, king said.
“it’s calling for diversion not just at the street level by police officers but also by the crown. that diversion, alone, will not work. there needs to be treatment programs, supervised consumption sites — those kinds of things,” said king.
the professor said the chiefs’ recommendation feeds into the narrative of defunding the police, a movement that’s gained traction recently as anti-racism demonstrations take place globally. it will potentially make the police budget a target to reallocate funds to support services for those who use drugs, he said.
for petra schulz, founder of the moms stop the harm advocacy group, the cacp recommendation doesn’t go far enough because it doesn’t explicitly address issues of race linked to drug policy and enforcement.
“the issues that have emerged lately about black lives matter and violence toward black people and other racialized people in terms of police violence and drug policy are closely connected, and you can’t really address a policy effectively if you don’t address systemic and individual racism,” schulz said.
the call from police chiefs came as a positive surprise to schulz, who said such policies could lessen stigma around drug use.

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she said regulating drugs and reinvesting money to support drug users would reduce overdose rates in canada. she added that supports should take place outside of the justice system, cautioning against a reliance on drug treatment courts.
ghosh also said drug treatment courts shouldn’t be an automatic course of action for police when dealing with drug users.
“the reasons why (drug users) are interacting with the justice system is a cry for help,” he said. “they’re looking for support and, sadly, the only way to get support is sometimes getting involved in the justice system.”
— with files from the canadian press

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