Peterborough police have announced they will be arresting people engaged in open-air illicit drug use beginning on Monday (June 9).
This is an escalation in the Peterborough Police Service’s “Safer Public Spaces” approach, originally announced in October 2023, in which police officers would approach a person using drugs in a public space and request they move to a different location, offering them information on where to find community services such as the Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site on Simcoe Street.
Under that approach, officers would only arrest a substance user and seize their illegal drugs for destruction if the person did not comply with the police request.
“We do not want to criminalize anybody who has an addiction — that is not our intent,” Chief Stuart Betts said when announcing the policy. “Our intent is to ensure that they are provided with the resources they need and the direction they need to where they can go to safely use these substances. To that end we will be providing our officers with information and documentation that they can hand out.”
According to information provided by police, from when the approach was announced on October 5, 2023 to June 5 of this year, police responded to 758 calls for open-air illicit drug use (an average of around nine calls per week), 677 of which were initiated by citizens with the remainder by officers themselves. The vast majority of the calls (635) were in the downtown area.
During that time, police arrested 33 people (just over four per cent of all calls) and made 21 drug seizures.
“We have taken a very compassionate approach to those afflicted with addiction and while we have always had the authority to arrest, in our effort to pursue a compassionate health-first approach, we opted to educate and direct people to the CTS versus using in our public spaces,” Chief Betts says in a media release issued on Friday (June 6).
“For many, this approach was met with cooperation,” Chief Betts adds. “However, some continue to engage in this behaviour which negatively impacts people and businesses in our community, and disproportionately so in our downtown. For this reason, I am directing that officers move to the next level of response in an effort to address a persistent problem in our community.”
“Officers will be directed to arrest anyone found using illicit substances in public spaces, and any illicit drugs will be seized for destruction, or submitted for analysis and evidence to support any charges laid. This will continue to be done with compassion, but we will not tolerate open-air illicit drug use.”
Chief Betts notes the new approach “is in keeping” with the provisions of Ontario’s Safer Municipalities Act, which was introduced in April and resurrects the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act of 2024 that allows police officers and other provincial offences officers to direct individuals to stop using illegal substances or to leave the public space, issuing a ticket or arresting someone who does not comply.
Under the escalated approach in Peterborough, officers will handcuff and search anyone who is found using illicit drugs in a public space. Officers will seize any drugs and will have either release the substance user unconditionally (without returning the seized drugs) or proceed with charges, which may involve releasing them at the scene with a ticket or taking them to the police station for further processing.
“We recognize that some in our community will feel this is a harsh approach, while others may feel it does not go far enough,” the police media release states. “We believe, at this time, it strikes a balance between both perspectives.”
“One of our primary responsibilities is to ensure community safety and we will continue to pursue this for the benefit of all who frequent our parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, and other public spaces. We remain committed to working with our community partners who provide medical or other assistance in this space.”
