The local RCMP are not out to get you for drug possession

But they will charge you if you’re stealing stuff or if you’re drunk or high behind the wheel. So how much impact will the new laws have here?

BY PIETA WOOLLEY

The “Goldfish Bowl” article describes the local RCMP as engaging in violence, surveillance and harassment against qathet’s People Who Use Drugs (PWUD), and that the local RCMP are more likely to charge for drug possession than their urban counterparts.

The article also notes that the new federal exemption for possession in BC (2.5 grams) won’t have much of an impact in qathet, because people buy larger quantities of drugs for personal use due to the problem of getting them here via BC Ferries – so the problems of criminalization and police harassment will continue.

I asked Rod Wiebe, who has been RCMP Staff Sergeant here since 2014, how many people his detachment has arrested for possession in the past year. The simple answer is none.

“We have not charged anyone for straight possession last year,” he said. “Any straight possession charges were a result of an accused pleading trafficking charges down to possession. The only aggressive enforcement we do is in relation to property crime offenders and drug trafficking.”

Here are the local drug possession charges for the last three years:

• In 2020, 19 files (which often have multiple charges) included a charge for possession of a drug or controlled substance. Of those, eight files used officer discretion (which means, the officer chose to not pursue charges) and no charges were forwarded, seven were forwarded for charges for other offences, but not the possession offence and four were recommending charges for possession. Of the four submitted for possession charges, two included other offences and two were for a person serving weekends in jail bringing drugs to the detachment.

• In 2021, 31 files included a charge for possession of a drug or controlled substance.

Of those, 17 files used officer discretion and no charges were recommended, 10 were forwarded for charges for other offences, but not the possession offencem, and two were recommending charges for possession. Of those charged with straight possession, one was originally charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking which was later reduced to straight possession and the other was a prolific offender.

• In 2022, 11 files included a charge for possession of a drug or controlled substance. Of those, eight files used officer discretion and no charges were recommended, and three resulted in other processes not related to drug possession, two resulted in Administrative Driving Sanctions for driving while impaired by a drug, and one resulted in a traffic ticket.

“Most, if not all, files originate from another offence being committed, so while police investigate that matter, drugs are located,” said Rod.

“I can’t stress this point enough: it is another matter that brings the person to our attention and results in charges for that offence and then a subsequent drug seizure. The most common offences leading to drug seizures are impaired driving and property offences.”

|| pieta@prliving.ca