Police chief launches new strategy to curb blatant drug use in public

London police officers will no longer pass by people who are using illegal drugs on city streets and will instead try to talk to them and get them help, London's police chief said Tuesday. 

Starting Wednesday, the new approach, dubbed Project Pathways, will enable officers to crack down on open-air drug use, which has made downtown, midtown and Old East Village feel unsafe, Chief Thai Truong said. Officers will also arrest people and take away their drugs if they become combative, he added. 

"There's been a deterioration of safety, and it has been getting worse. We're not going to leave it for others to deal with," he said. "One of the complaints in this community is that open drug use is occurring, and our officers are just walking by. We've heard that loud and clear. We're expecting our officers to engage. There's an expectation they will engage."  

All the officers involved in the project will have body-worn cameras, Truong said, and have gotten additional training to deal with people who might be high or coming off drugs. Officers will work alongside mental health and addiction workers, he added. "Part of this is about outreach, about policing with kindness and compassion. Arrest is not the first course of action. We have to ask, 'What does that person need?' If an individual is not compliant, then enforcement is an option." 

It'll be up to officers to decide if they should arrest someone or arrest and charge them, but either way, illegal drugs will be confiscated, Truong said. The project will be re-evaluated in six months to see if it should be made permanent. 

Right now, there are one or two teams of foot patrol officers walking the beat. That will increase to three or four teams. Some teams will be paired with Centre for Mental Health and Addiction (CMHA) Thames Valley workers.

"This collaboration builds on existing partnerships ... The current demand outweighs our capacity to provide care to those who want it in our community. Through partnerships, we can continue to expand our reach. We will direct people to our community programs that are tailored to their needs," said Pam Tobin, the CMHA's head. 

"By meeting people where they are, we remove barriers, ease system navigation, and ensure that support is delivered with compassion and respect." 

Funding from the program will come from the existing police budget. 

More to come.