Winnipeg drug initiative leads to 55 arrests, treatment referrals and detox placements

A joint initiative between Winnipeg police and the city’s outreach organizations yielded the arrest of alleged drug traffickers and prompted some people to seek addictions treatment, police said.

Since the initiative was renewed in August, following the success of an earlier iteration in July, 12 community outreach organizers took part in 14 specific joint outreach and enforcement dates with Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) officers from Aug. 7 to Oct. 6.

Teams attempted to engage with people more than 3,700 times, Const. Claude Chancy, a public information officer with WPS, said at a news conference Tuesday. Of those, 10 resulted in people seeking detox programs with the Main Street Project and 48 saw hand-offs to support services.

Additionally, 553 NARCAN kits were distributed by outreach workers, according to Chancy. The kits contain naloxone, an opioid-overdose-reversing drug.

The joint venture also helped WPS with its law enforcement activities, Chancy continued. Fifty-five arrests were made in the 14 engagement days. The vast majority, 43, were in relation to warrants or breaches. Three people were taken into custody for possessing a scheduled substance.

Outside of the specific outreach days, multiple arrests were made as a result of this project, WPS Staff Sgt. Ryan Howanyk said at Tuesday’s news conference.

On July 29, officers searched a building in the 200 block of Young Street after locals complained about suspicious behaviour, he said. Seven people were arrested and are facing gun and drug trafficking-related charges.

That month also saw two people arrested, and the seizure of approximately $1,500 worth of pills, as well as other illicit items, from a trafficking operation near Portage Place.

Howanyk added that a man was arrested twice last week on the suspicion of drug trafficking. His arrests resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cash and a sawed-off shotgun.

“This phase of the initiative is set to conclude at the end of October. While we continue to collaborate with community organizations, and connect individuals with supports and services, we will also continue to target the drug traffickers that contribute to addiction, exploitation and harm in our communities,” Howanyk told reporters.

The project combines police enforcement with community care to try to support people who are struggling with drug addiction and using drugs openly in public, he noted. Two people were taken to a protective care centre as a result of that work.

Referrals were also handed out approximately 170 times to groups including the Downtown Community Safety Project and Main Street Project. Sixteen referrals were made to Winnipeg’s supervised consumption site, according to police, noting that four mentions of other support services were made.

Jackie Anderson is the executive director at Ka Ni Kanichihk, one of the outreach groups involved in the WPS initiative. She said it leverages existing relationships that the community groups have with people who are struggling to encourage them to seek help.

“Over the course of our outreach walks, we have witnessed some pretty meaningful moments. We have been able to transport many of our relatives to shelter, ensuring that they have a warm, safe place to rest,” she said.

“We have watched our relatives recognize the outreach teams, greet them with smiles and approach them because they know that they are people they can trust. They even know some of our outreach members by name, and they ask, ‘what day are you back next week?’”

Having access to immediate resources, such as detox beds, has also made a positive difference for outreach organizations, Anderson said, adding that having the resource ready when a person feels prepared to seek help may be the deciding factor in whether treatment is sought.

“We will not have a 100 per cent success rate. We will face challenges, and yes, we will face criticism. But I believe we have a choice – we can continue to focus on everything that is wrong, or we can put our energy into finding those solutions our relatives need,” she said.

It is unclear whether this project will continue after the end of this month, Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers said.