Potential legislative changes and new initiative implementation key to battling drug crisis in 2019

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

Davis believes his officers do a great job of communicating, and that he’s very proud of all the men and women in the agency for the work they do.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

“What I hear regularly is people asking why we don’t just lock everybody up. I wish people would take the time to educate themselves to understand that, as people, we’re duty bound to operate within the constitution, the charter of rights and freedoms and the criminal code. So, it gets a little tiring when people keep saying that because it’s just not reality in today’s society and I have zero wiggle room to change that.”

“Our officers have zero wiggle room to change that, and so the onus really goes back to the citizens to really understand what the police can and cannot do versus what is the function of the judiciary versus what is permissible in Canada under the law and the charter of rights and freedom,” Davis stated.

Once the new police initiatives are up and operational in the new year, and the programs are working alongside existing supports to deal with the drug crisis, Davis hopes people will see the progress being made.

“The reality is we’re never going to satisfy 100 percent of the population, but we aim to satisfy the majority,” he continued. “With the new initiatives I’m confident it’s going to have an impact, but with the provincial announcements the challenge will be it’s going to be a couple of years before it’s all up and running.”

The other part is Davis thinks there’s a real need for provincial legislation so that when the police come in contact with addicts, they have the legal mechanism where they can turn them over to the detox/intox centre and medical professionals can deal with them.

“My observation from experience has been that when an addict has a need for a drug it will always overpower the need to get clean. If somebody is no longer capable of making decisions for themselves there’s provincial legislation that allows for the power of an attorney, if a child is in need of protection there’s provincial legislation to allow for the child to be put in a safe environment, if a person is having a mental health episode there’s provincial legislation that allows the family, the police or the courts to put them somewhere safe,” Davis explained.

When it comes to the drug crisis and addiction, he firmly believes they need provincial legislation that will allow the police to detain the addict and turn them over to the medical professionals.

“Not just the police either, it should replicate the mental health legislation that a family member, the police or the courts have the power to turn them over to the addiction professionals and hopefully have an intervention that can get them on the right track.”

Davis has discussed this with other police chiefs in the province, but not with the Solicitor General yet because there’s a process that has to be followed.

“In May we’ll be putting forward a resolution to the body. We have one existing right now, but it was based on intoxication by alcohol, so what we’re looking to do is update the wording to be all-encompassing to cover both alcohol and those afflicted by drug addiction.”

In discussing that legislation with local MLAs Shannon Phillips and Maria Fitzpatrick, Davis says it’s definitely on the radar and the province is receptive to the concerns.

“The problem,” Davis explained, “Is they only have so many spaces on the agenda when the provincial legislature sits. That’s the challenge, will it be important enough to get in on the next sitting of parliament after we bring it forward as a resolution.

”It’s a question for now, but Lethbridge’s Police Chief is encouraged because all parties in the province acknowledge that we’re in a drug crisis.

“Irrespective of their political stripes they realize it’s a crisis, and the current government obviously sees the long-term solutions with some of their recent announcements. Then the need for legislation is very evident in my opinion, so if we can keep the momentum towards that I think we’re moving in the right direction.”