Thunder Bay police remain 'very busy' with gang, drug investigations

Thunder Bay police continue to be "very, very busy" with drug and gang investigations in the city, the inspector in charge of the service's intelligence unit says.

A report presented to the city's police services board last week showed police saw a major spike in drug seizures in January and February of 2022.

The report states police seized about $2.7 million in illicit drugs in that period, which is more than all of 2020, which saw police seize about $2.6 million in drugs (about $3.7 million worth of drugs were seized in all of 2021).

The report also showed police seized about 16 kilograms of cocaine in January and February of 2022, which is more than all of 2020 (7.9 kilograms) and 2021 (9.4 kilograms). 

Inspt. Jeremy Pearson said the rise in numbers during the first two months of this year are largely due to Project Waffle, a major drug bust that took place on one day in February.

However, that's not to say drugs and gangs don't remain a serious, year-round issue for Thunder Bay.

"The overall trend certainly over the last couple of years is ... an increase in drugs, currency, firearms being seized by our service," Pearson said. "I'm confident that at the end of 2022, we will see that the numbers reflect that."

Since the report was presented to the police board on April 19, the police service has announced three more drug-related arrests in the city:

• A 26-year-old Toronto man was arrested following a home takeover at a residence in the 200 block of Leith Street. Police — who arrested the male on April 16 but announced the arrest on April 19 — said the incident was related to the drug trafficking trade in the city; the accused is facing drug-related charges and remains in custody following an April 17 court appearance.
• Police arrested four people — two from Thunder Bay, one from Brampton, and one from Toronto — on April 19, following an investigation into a home takeover on Ambrose Street. Cocaine, fentanyl, and cash were seized, and all four accused were remanded into custody following an April 20 court appearance.
• Police seized fentanyl, cocaine, and a loaded handgun during a search of a Picton Avenue residence on April 20, following an investigation into alleged drug trafficking activity at the location. One person from Thunder Bay and one from Montreal face several drug and firearm-related charges, and remain in custody.

Police also arrested a Toronto man following a single-vehicle collision on Mapleward Road on April 21. A transport truck became stuck in a ditch, and the driver was found to be impaired and in possession of fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine. The accused is facing impaired driving and drug possession charges.

Pearson said Thunder Bay is attractive to southern Ontario gangs due to the profit margin (the intelligence report only included statistics from investigations involving out-of-town accused).

"People are driven by the money that is there to be made," Pearson said. "Unfortunately for our community, we are seen as as profitable."

"We have a number of very vulnerable persons here who are taken advantage of by those who would sell for profit these substances that are quite harmful."

Pearson said more provincial support is needed in Thunder Bay.

"I feel that the northwest, particularly the far northwest as we are, is sometimes left out of the conversation when it comes to the guns, gangs and drugs issues," he said. "If you look per capita, we have significant issues and I think would and should be eligible for support and funding to target these issues."

"These are very resource-intensive investigations," Pearson said. "We dedicate a lot of Thunder Bay Police Service resources to them."

But more resources shouldn't only be made available to police, Pearson said.

"I think the conversation has to also be open to what resources do we have in place to help our vulnerable people?" he said. "What resources do we have in place to address ... the underpinning social issues that contribute to making people vulnerable for opportunistic entrepreneurs?"

Last week's report also stated police had executed 50 warrants in January and February of 2022, compared to 114 in all of 2020 and 128 in 2021.

Thirty-one people from outside of Thunder Bay were arrested in the same time period of 2022, compared to 136 in 2020 and 202 in 2021.

The full report can be read on pages 20 to 22 of the April 19 Thunder Bay Police Services Board agenda.