Photo: Contributed

Vernon's top cop will be asking city council to throw its support behind a pilot project aimed at combating at the worsening opioid crisis. 

Insp. Shawna Baher is expected to roll out the details of the "Opioid Emergency Response Centre Pilot" at the city council meeting today. 

In her report, which was posted in the council agenda online, Baher wrote that since 2016, of the 39 overdose deaths Vernon RCMP attended, 23 of those were by people who were a prisoner in Vernon Detachment cells at some time prior to their death.

"ln April 2018, a BC Coroners Service Death Review Panel report found that a substantial number of overdose deaths occurred among persons with recent health care and/or recent or previous B.C' Corrections involvement."

It is believed that overdose and overdose deaths occurred because imprisonment forces abstinence or significantly reduced opioid use, which lowers drug tolerance. 

"Individuals within RCMP cells, whether it be for a day or weekend, often start to go into withdrawal and become sick while in custody," wrote Baher. "These individuals are at higher risk of overdose on release as their tolerance level would have been reduced, meaning if they used the same amount of opioid when released they likely will overdose. As there would be a physical and psychological demand for the individual to use when released they also may immediately seek the drug to use and further put themselves at risk by purchasing drugs from an unknown supplier or using in an unsafe manner (alone)."

Baher writes that the pilot project being proposed can be broken down into the stages: training, implementation and reporting.   

Stage One: Training {Month 1)

The Health Authority would provide increased training for RCMP members and detachment staff along with partnering organizations to refer individuals to services and provide members with information on how to access local and current services. 

A robust referral card will also be created by non-RCMP partners for members to hand out to individuals and families in need of support. 

This training would start with Vernon and Coldstream members and go on to include Enderby, Falkland, Armstrong, Spallumcheen and Lumby.

Stage 2: Implementation {Month 2 through 12)

RCMP members and staff would receive Naloxone training. 

Members trained would then provide training on the Naloxone kits being handed out.

The pilot would roll out in the Vernon detachment first. 

Should the pilot be successful, it would then roll out to other detachments that house prisoners like Enderby and Armstrong by month six. 

Stage 3: Reporting {Month 12)

A review of the Program would be completed and a final report written identifying the numbers of trainings provided, kits dispersed and referrals completed. 

Total costs for this pilot project are estimated at $6280.00.

The presentation and proposed project come at a time when certain members of Vernon's downtown business sector have renewed calls to have City Hall provide private security to combat what they call the "degradation" of Vernon. 

It also comes on the heels of an approved budget in which the City of Vernon has allocated funds to address the issues raised by citizens and businesses concerned with safety in the city.   

In Nov., Baher was handed an Award of Meritorious Service for her leadership in identifying the opioid/fentanyl crisis and work to ensure RCMP officers were authorized and trained to carry naloxone.

The award is the highest honour bestowed upon a member of law enforcement in British Columbia.