Drug Decriminalization in Barrie: Policing, Housing, Human Rights and Health (Panel Discussion)

In October 2021, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition in partnership with the John Howard Society, Indigenous Harm Reduction Network, and the Gilbert Centre, conducted a two-day community dialogue. The discussion focused on the effects of drug criminalization policies on health, human rights, the toxic drug supply, and the ongoing drug poisoning crisis.

A report was published in April this year, outlining five key recommendations. These are: the creation of a municipal task force; exploring a potential request for the decriminalization of illicit drugs; enhancing immediate access to deeply affordable housing; offering harm reduction training for municipal staff and municipally-funded social service agencies; and establishing collaborative, multi-sectoral decision-making tables that involve individuals with first-hand experience of substance use.

We hosted a panel discussion involving Denise Baldwin, Community Engagement and Education Coordinator at Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Beeta Senedjani, Dialogues Program Coordinator, at Canadian Drug Policy Coalition and Sarah Tilley, Harm Reduction Program Manager at Gilbert Centre. 

Sarah Tilley said the current approach to homelessness and poverty, with an emphasis on increased policing and surveillance, is misguided. Despite being dubbed 'outreach initiatives', these measures often aim more at control than support.

Baldwin said decriminalization, while challenging to introduce amid myriad existing Indigenous community issues, holds promise. It could reduce surveillance and charges, curtailing the carceral cycle. But for this step to be truly inclusive, Indigenous voices must be heard on a national scale.

Senedjani called for a change in policing. She called for less police interaction, more trained specialists in handling drug use matters. The current system often casts police as threats, inhibiting open interaction. She urges for a focus on expert-driven care and rehabilitation over criminalization. She said it's not just about reducing harmful encounters, but creating a more effective system rooted in understanding and support.

Tilley said while parts of Canada, like BC and Toronto, are testing the waters of drug decriminalization, the conversation is in its infancy in Barrie. The current focus lies on enlightening the community about decriminalization's implications and urging service providers to reconsider their stances. She is hopeful that these initial dialogues will fuel a wider, national conversation and inspire much-needed policy reforms.

A recent encounter by Baldwin, an Indigenous leader, paints a sobering picture of the relationship between Indigenous communities and law enforcement. Having called the police after witnessing a hit-and-run incident, she was met with an officer in full tactical gear. Rather than feeling assisted, they felt as though the situation was treated as her fault. This experience, intensified by the officer's intimidating appearance and demeanor, epitomizes the barriers Indigenous communities face when interacting with police, often rooted in long-standing systemic injustices. This account underlines the pressing need for change, towards a more compassionate and less intimidating approach to policing within communities especially Indigenous.

According to Baldwin, the mere presence of police often acts as a roadblock to genuinely understanding “the needs of people who use drugs.“

Baldwin expressed that overburdened police forces could more effectively serve the community by focusing their efforts on serious matters unrelated to drug use.