‘Unique’ crackdown leads to dozens of arrests, hundreds of referrals to outreach groups

More than 200 people were referred to support organizations and police made 55 arrests during a two-month crackdown on drug use and disorder on city streets.

The Winnipeg Police Service and community group leaders released the latest details Tuesday of a sweep focused on open drug use and trafficking that began in August. An earlier blitz, in June, drew rebuke from some community groups that led police to take an outreach-first approach when it was relaunched.

“I feel it’s something that’s very unique, we’ve looked across the country and from what I’m hearing, what we’re hearing, I think we’re definitely going in the right direction, if not leading the way in some of our initiatives,” said police Chief Gene Bowers of the service’s partnered approach to cracking down on open air drug use.

Between Aug. 7 and Oct. 6, community organizations participated in 14 joint outreach and enforcement efforts, police said on Tuesday. Ten people were helped into Main Street Project detox programs, 48 people were given access to support services and 553 naloxone opioid antidote kits were handed out. Outreach organizations engaged with a total of 3,758 people.

During that period, officers made 55 arrests, 43 of which were for active warrants or court-order breaches. Three people were arrested for possessing illicit drugs.

Two people were transported to the new provincial protective care centre on Disraeli Freeway, while 117 were referred to the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, 33 to Main Street Project and 16 to the new supervised drug consumption site on Henry Street. Four others were referred to other support services.

An initial 10-day blitz was launched on June 24 in response to complaints about drug activity, increasing reports of crime and ongoing concerns about safety. Police were criticized at the time because outreach organizations were not included.

Outreach teams were to work alongside police at times to try to connect people with resources and services, with a focus on areas such as downtown, Point Douglas, Osborne Village, West Broadway and the West End.

While the partnership between police and a coalition of 11 organizations was new, periodic drug sweeps and outreach work have been going on for years.

The initial 10-day sweep involved 1,099 police and related calls for service, and 106 arrests, including 93 for warrants and/or breaches of release conditions, police said previously. Seven people were taken to the drug detox centre.

Reports of violent and property crime were 16.5 per cent and 10.5 per cent lower in the targeted hot spots, respectively, than the same period in 2025. Emergency calls were six per cent lower.

fpcity@winnipegfreepress.com