Kamloops' top cop looks to target open drug use in wake of decriminalization

Photo: The Canadian Press

The Tournament Capital’s top cop says drug decriminalization has not changed much for Kamloops Mounties, but he wants to make it harder for users to consume drugs openly in public.

Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said users — the people for whom the rules have changed — haven't been targeted by police for some time.

“We continue to focus on our predatory drug traffickers who exploit the vulnerable. That’s our main focus,” Pelley told Castanet Kamloops.

“We never focused on individuals who were vulnerable and had addictions with respect to enforcement.”

At the end of January, B.C.’s drug decriminalization policy kicked in — allowing adults to freely possess so-called personal amounts of drugs including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, meth and MDMA. Under the terms of the three-year pilot program, adults are allowed to possess up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs.

Pelley said the biggest concerns he’s heard relating to decriminalization have to do with open drug use on city streets and in other public areas.

“There’s a lot of concern about public consumption,” he said.

“Local governments continue to have the ability to pass bylaws concerning the use of substances in public, and then the BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions will continue to engage local governments on this topic.”

Pelley said drug use is often prohibited on private property, which allows police to get involved at places like shopping malls, bars and cafes.

“So we still retain discretion to move people from these premises under the Trespass Act if substance use is occurring,” he said.

“We still have challenges locally, but also we have tools that we can utilize.”

Pelley also said B.C. police chiefs are advocating for new legislation that would treat hard drugs like alcohol and cannabis when it comes to public consumption in non-exempted areas. But, he said, the proposal is not presently being considered by government.

“We’ll continue to work and collaborate with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions on the issue of public consumption and we will focus on ensuring that our streets are safe,” he said.