Police chief promises drug crackdown data will be made public

Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers said Tuesday data from the recent 10-day drug enforcement campaign will be released to the public, but he won’t say when.

Speaking at a news conference, Bowers said police have met several times with outreach providers and have another meeting scheduled this week to work through the “logistics” of a collaborative approach on the problem of open drug use on city streets.

“Once we have figured that out, I think we’re going to have a media release on what it is, what we found, and what we we’re going to do moving ahead,” Bowers said.

He declined to provide a timeline, saying only it would happen “sooner rather than later.”

“I’m hoping to keep moving as quick as we can on this,” he said.

Bowers said a number of ideas have emerged during discussions with outreach organizations, but did not to elaborate, saying he doesn’t want to rush the process.

Asked whether police would conduct similar enforcement campaigns, Bowers said enforcement and harm reduction must go hand in hand.

“How do we do that together?” he said. “It’s about the people out there and getting them the help that they need, and also it’s about the safety of our general community as well.

“I think we’re on a positive course right now.”

Outreach organizations confirmed additional meetings with police have taken place, but said they haven’t reviewed enforcement data.

Front-line social service agencies sharply criticized the drug sweep in part, because they weren’t given advance notice.

The enforcement campaign began along Main Street between Logan and Higgins avenues, where police reported more than 100 interactions with people in the area, including 25 arrests, during the first two days of the campaign that was launched in late June.

Police publicly announced the operation on the third day, saying officers were targeting several areas, including downtown, Point Douglas, the West End and West Broadway.

The campaign was sparked by months of complaints from residents and business owners, police said, and received the backing of Mayor Scott Gillingham.

Police have said 25 people were arrested during the operation. Two arrests were related to drug possession or trafficking, while the remaining 23 involved outstanding warrants or breaches of court orders.

Police also said about 20 severely intoxicated people were taken to hospital emergency departments. Three were later transferred to the province’s new 72-hour detox centre on Disraeli Freeway after being medically cleared.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca