Winnipeg police, community groups tout success of outreach, enforcement initiative

The Winnipeg Police crackdown on open drug use and dealing started this past summer. It evolved into a downtown safety and community outreach initiative with over a dozen groups. Different organizations, different responsibilities, but one common purpose. And that purpose is not to move our relatives along. It is to help move our relatives towards safety, wellness, connection, and hope. Police and outreach groups teamed up 14 times between August 7th and October 6th. They gave out hundreds of Narcan kits, connected people with services, and in some cases referred them to the supervised consumption site. Whether it was providing food, connecting someone to resources, offering transportation or simply taking the time to say hello and build a relationship, every interaction mattered. Police say they made 55 arrests during that period. Three of them were drug related. They say they're committed to targeting open drug use, but this initiative involved taking what they call the step back. We've allowed the community partners that are here today, the community organizations that we're working with, to have that first contact with individuals on the street. Police are in the background. As the chief mentioned, we're focusing now on drug traffickers supplying drugs on the street. On Sargent Avenue Tuesday afternoon, Michael Paille administered naloxone to this person suffering from the effects of drugs. They were able to walk away after. Paille has been running a street watch over the last few months and says this is becoming all too common. We need more show of not just police, but of help. It's taking a toll. The city's police chief says they're listening. Obviously, we've heard about some of the issues around the Sargent area. So we're looking into putting some extra resources there as well. Gene Bowers also says after October, they'll talk about what comes next. The groups on hand Tuesday want the partnership to continue. Gavin Axelrod, CBC News, Winnipeg.