Zero tolerance for trespassing is part of Charlottetown's new drug-use control plan

Charlottetown residents who are witnessing public drug use, dealing with damaged property, and feeling unsafe in their community as a result expressed their frustration at a public meeting Tuesday night.

About 300 people piled into the gym at Birchwood Intermediate School for the meeting, which was hosted by Charlottetown Police. The meeting comes after Charlottetown city council unanimously voted to ask police to come up with a plan to address illicit drug use.

The Community Outreach Centre on Euston Street and its clients were in the middle of many of the complaints about problems in the city's core.

"Recently the loitering has been extreme," said Patricia Abbott, who runs the Sobeys Express across the street from the centre.

"They will move their property and themselves up in front and they totally block the sidewalk, block the driveway and make it almost impossible for anybody to feel safe to come to my store… I've heard many, many times before that people don't feel comfortable coming to gas [up] at my store anymore."

Concerned parents also spoke at the meeting, saying they are worried for their children because the centre is so close to public schools. They told stories of walking with their kids and seeing people using drugs, and of people exposing themselves to their children. They expressed concern their children could be pricked by a used needle.

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Last week an eight-year-old was pricked by a needle in Hillsborough Square.

Others who live near the centre told stories about people breaking into their homes to sleep, people using drugs on their porches, and being threatened. Many at the meeting said they want police to do more.

According to Charlottetown police, calls for service in general are up by 32 per cent so far in 2023, compared to the same period in 2018. Most of that increase was driven by mental health calls, said Charlottetown Police Chief Brad MacConnell.

"I'm going to be challenging myself and my staff to do more with the resources we have because I know our community needs us," MacConnell said.

"Drug addiction largely is a coping mechanism for deep-rooted mental health issues, people suffering anxiety or stresses of being homeless."

'Zero tolerance'

MacConnell outlined some of the immediate changes he has ordered.

Charlottetown police will be more visible in the city, with more foot patrols and a focus on senior and student safety.

"I've instructed my staff to have a zero tolerance for people trespassing on private property," said MacConnell, but he acknowledged police face difficulties.

"One of the challenges with that commitment is we can issue the fines and bring people before the court, but we have also heard stories of people being back in the community after being charged. And that's challenging because it undermines people's confidence in the police force."

A further challenge facing police is that in 2020, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada asked all federal lawyers to avoid prosecuting simple drug possession cases unless there are major public safety concerns, MacConnell said.

Many at the meeting warned police that community members are prepared to take matters into their own hands.

Charlottetown resident Tommy Ford is one of those who thinks the outreach centre needs to go.

"Stop enabling them and shut down the program," Ford said.

Ford believes a solution starts with federal government policies, and he said he wants to see representatives of the federal government at public meetings surrounding drug use in the city.

Charlottetown resident and business owner Dane Cutcliffe said rather than cutting back, programs need to be expanded and adapted so that people dealing with addiction can get the treatment they need more quickly.

"Fundamentally, to solve the drug-related problem is to have drug-related services that actually serve the addicted public, and working toward programming that really helps those people rather than enable them with services that provide paraphernalia," he said.

People close to Cutcliffe have told him they have tried to get into a treatment facility but sometimes have to wait up to a week to access services, he said.

"If they can go back to using a drug in the meantime, often by the time they get called, they don't even want the help anymore," Cutcliffee said, adding he's concerned people could get clean needles from the outreach centre and source drugs close by.

Several were critical of harm reduction supplies being given out at the outreach centre, but MacConnell said cutting off access to clean needles or taking drugs away could cause health issues for the person facing addiction.

"Taking drugs off people that are addicted to them can cause people to become very desperate and dangerous," he said.

While police have a large role to play in controlling illicit drug use, said MacConnell, it isn't something police can solve alone.

"As a police chief I can't provide housing, I can't provide long-term mental health support, I cannot provide addiction support," he said.

"We can try to keep people safe and make people feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods, but again that is challenging and we will need support from all levels of government."

'How you talk about them is sickening'

Not everyone at the meeting wanted to see the Community Outreach Centre shut down.

Daniel Cousins said they are worried Charlottetown's most vulnerable people are not being considered.

"What I have heard this evening is that you don't consider the most vulnerable people in our community of Charlottetown members of our community. How you talk about them is sickening," Cousins said.

They added: "I understand that you are victims. I feel for you as victims."

People shouldn't have to fear people sleeping on their doorsteps or worry about stepping on a needle when walking through city parks, Cousins said.

"But this is not just an issue in Charlottetown. This is not just an issue in the Maritimes or Prince Edward Island or Canada. It is worldwide," they said.

"We need housing and we need a safe injection site."

Some at the meeting pointed to British Columbia while suggesting harm reduction policies don't work.

In July, federal Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said the first analysis of the impact of B.C.'s safer supply program and drug decriminalization pilot, conducted by independent researchers in concert with Health Canada, will be ready soon.

Bennett was later shuffled out of the federal cabinet, on July 26.