Prescription drug policing concerns raised

Community or group rights do not overweigh the individual rights of prescription drug traffickers under Canadian law.
“As an officer, from my own experiences, I empathize with the communities,” said Thunder Bay Police Service Const. Larry Baxter during the Chiefs Forum on Prescription Drug Abuse Nov. 15. “But I do recognize as a police officer we are bound by ... the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
Baxter said although people may feel that prescription drug traffickers should be arrested and charged by any means, Canadian law upholds the rights of all Canadians.
“They protect everybody, basically, they protect the good and protect the people that do bad things,” Baxter said.
A Mishkeegogamang band member raised questions about different ways to deal with prescription drug traffickers who are trafficking prescription drugs in her community.
“I can easily say from knowing the grassroots that 80 to 90 per cent of the people are using prescription drugs in our community,” said Erin Bottle, a researcher from Mishkeegogamang.
“When the drugs are not there, we find that people are ongoing drinking non-stop. And now we are noticing ... prostitution is happening from outside members but also even within the community itself.”
Bottle said there has also been a sharp increase in violent behavior.
“We feel at a loss sometimes,” Bottle said. “How do you bring in the justice system to make some inroads? As you know, the solution to a lot of this is long-term.”
Judge Peter Bishop said some people do change their lives around after being involved with the justice system, but others do not.
“The solution, as Chief (Connie) Gray-McKay says, has to come from the community,” Bishop said. “There has to be something to go back to so they don’t fall back into their old terrible ways.”
Bishop also said the Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not allow unlawful arrest and requires reasonable probable grounds.
“If the police officers in the community relax those, then the Crown and the courts are not going to uphold the investigation and it will probably fail,” Bishop said.
“I see from my experience a lot of criminal charges and drug charges get stayed or withdrawn because there has been a real clear violation of the person’s rights, right to counsel, unlawful search and seizure.”
Thunder Bay Police Service Acting Sgt. John Walmark encouraged community members to communicate with police about their concerns regarding prescription drug traffickers in their communities.
“Contact the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police), contact NAPS (Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service) with your concerns and tell them what you think,” Walmark said.
NAPS has previously encouraged community members to report drug offences by calling the NAPS confidential tip line at 1-888-737-3442 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or e-mailing the NAPS Drug Enforcement Unit at stopdrugs@naps.ca.