How to crack down on open drug use? 5 Londoners on what police should do

Kate Dubinski · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Months aft helium promised to ace down connected cause users smoking and injecting substances retired successful the open, Chief Thai Truong volition unveil a caller attack to usher constabulary officers arsenic they interact with cause users successful the city's downtown, midtown and Old East Village.

At his authorities of the metropolis address, Mayor Josh Morgan said, "Blatant nationalist cause ... indispensable not beryllium tolerated" and welcomed an open-air nationalist abstraction cause strategy. Truong has said it's a occupation constabulary can't "arrest their mode retired of." 

The caller policy, called Project Pathways, volition beryllium unveiled astatine constabulary office Tuesday morning. CBC News spoke to respective Londoners astir what they'd similar to see. 

Scott Courtice

Executive director, London Intercommunity Health Centre

"I anticipation that arsenic we're trying to enforce the due usage of nationalist space, that radical are moved to places wherever they tin get enactment services and not conscionable beryllium moved on to nothing," Courtice said. 

"We request to usage this arsenic an accidental to supply supports to radical and not person it consciousness punitive, but truly similar we're trying to equilibrium the concerns of businesses and neighbourhoods with the existent request for radical who are utilizing substances connected the thoroughfare to get entree to services."

Police volition hopefully equilibrium the rights of radical utilizing drugs with the rights of radical to bask nationalist spaces and for businesses to thrive. "Confiscating drugs should beryllium a precise past edifice for police." 

Kevin Morrison

General manager, Old East Village concern betterment area

"Since I've been present for the past twelvemonth and a half, there's been a hands-off attack to unfastened cause usage and it seems that not lone are we ignoring it but we're enabling it, truthful that has to stop. People don't consciousness harmless connected their sidewalks oregon connected the streets," Morrison said. 

"I deliberation the archetypal measurement is to confiscate the drugs. Take the drugs away, marque them uncomfortable. Where are they going to go? I don't now, but you can't beryllium connected the sidewalks. By moving them on and making it uncomfortable, they don't person the drugs anymore, they person to spell done the hassle of getting drugs again." 

Those whose drugs person been taken distant mightiness beryllium much agitated, but it mightiness assistance them determination toward asking for treatment, Morrison said.

Melissa Parrott 

Shop clerk, Grooves Records

"I enactment downtown. It's truly pugnacious to spot radical struggling each azygous day," Parrott said. "I don't privation radical to beryllium pushed aside. We don't similar to spot cause usage astir the library, wherever radical bring their kids, wherever they locomotion their dogs; having each the litter is disturbing, but it's besides disturbing to spot constabulary moving radical on who are conscionable eating a sandwich, conscionable trying to survive." 

There has to beryllium a spot for radical to go, she added. "Do they person a spot to go? That's my main concern. We request much services, determination harmless to devour the drugs. Safe proviso and a harmless spot to use, that's what we need." 

Michelle Nicholls

Downtown resident

"Weed is legal, but thing other than that, they should beryllium cracking down on. The constabulary main has said they won't apprehension immediately; they'll determination radical on and springiness stern warnings twice. You tin decidedly spot the cause usage occupation present downtown. I deliberation if radical cognize that they'll get a summons eventually, that would beryllium great. Arresting everyone won't marque immoderate sense, we already person a truly clogged justness system." 

Mark Dencev

Owner, Richmond Tavern 

"What I'd truly similar to spot is immoderate benignant of a portion wherever commercialized businesses and tourism are truly considered. I deliberation it's ace important to beryllium precise compassionate with the individuals that are using. I recognize however hard it is for them. There are not a batch of harmless places for them to go. But erstwhile you're lasting successful the open, successful doorways, you're not lone impeding businesses, but you're mounting a existent obstacle for the estimation of downtown. It makes radical consciousness not harmless to travel downtown." 

A zero-tolerance portion wherever radical loitering oregon utilizing drugs would beryllium instantly ushered retired could beryllium the solution, Dencev said. 

"If you don't listen, past you're going to get a ticket, a fine, arrested, whatever. But if you're doing what you're doing extracurricular of that zone, cipher is going to fuss you astir it. That way, businesses are protected." 

Beat police and ft patrol officers cognize the names of the radical who usage drugs successful their areas, and look to attraction astir them, Dencev added. "There's not capable tools successful their toolbox and not capable resources to backmost them up. They're conscionable shuffling radical on to the adjacent bare doorway, and that's not a solution. You request a spot for harmless injections, immoderate benignant of an country that would beryllium much supportive for these individuals, conscionable not successful the mediate of downtown erstwhile we're trying to bash business."