By Leah Murray

Council considering local strategy to deal with drug increases

Feb 6, 2018 | 4:39 PM

MEDICINE HAT – Some members of City Council want to see the city come up with a strategy to help deal with an increase in drug activity.

In 2017, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team laid 243 drug related offences. That’s a 35 per cent increase from 2016.

There was a 151 per cent increase in methamphetamine seizures, an eight per cent increase in heroin and a 29 per cent decrease in cocaine seizures. ALERT says $543,530 in drugs and cash were taken off the streets in their investigations last year.

A recent survey conducted by police suggests people feel less safe in the community, and police believe that may be connected to the increase in drug activity.

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During Monday night’s city council meeting, Councillor Jamie McIntosh said he’d like to see city staff, councillors and community partners develop a strategy for the city to help tackle drug and addictions issues.

“It’s not just a police issue, I think it’s a community perspective that needs to take place to make a difference here,” said McIntosh.

Staff Sgt. Cory Both agrees.

Just over a month into 2018, Both said they’ve concluded eight drug investigations and laid charges against 14 individuals.

The Medicine Hat Police Service has introduced several new programs to try and help those struggling with addictions and mental health in our community.

In November, police introduced the Addictions Crisis Team (ACT), a partnership between the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and the Police Service.

The team is focused on identifying high-risk individuals in the community in an effort to connect them to treatment and services to address addictions.

A partnership also exists between police and Alberta Health Services called the Police and Crisis Team. It’s meant to help those dealing with mental health crisis.

Both said drug addictions and mental health issues tend to go hand in hand and it’s a challenge they can’t tackle on their own.

“It’s more than a community problem it’s a societal problem, and we as a police service can only tackle one portion of it,” said Both. “So, it’s good [City Council is] starting to recognize it.”

Mayor Ted Clugston said there is some work going on to create a coalition of municipalities with the common goal of helping fight back against addiction.

Clugston said it’s a problem being faced by nearly all communities across Alberta.

“We’re actually just starting a task force up in Leduc, to try and combat this problem,” he explained. “I assigned Councillor Kris Samraj to be on that committee and to travel, to try to work on some solutions.”

There’s no word on exactly when the first meeting for this task force will be.