Windsor Police Resume Arrests for Public Drug Use Despite Federal Guidelines

Windsor, Ont., police have begun arresting and charging individuals for using illegal drugs in public, according to reporting from CBC News. While police maintain the authority to lay simple drug possession charges, the practice had largely ceased in the southwestern Ontario city because federal lawyers were instructed by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) in 2020 to avoid prosecuting such cases unless they were deemed among the most serious.

Deputy Chief Ken Cribley told CBC News that the service changed its directive this summer in response to public feedback. Cribley noted that the force had received criticism over the last several months regarding police vehicles driving past individuals openly using drugs.

Cribley stated that the police service is now treating the increase in charges as a project to track statistics and determine how many cases actually proceed through the court system. He acknowledged that not every Crown attorney agrees to start laying charges for simple possession and noted that the response from local prosecutors remains to be seen.

Despite the shift in enforcement, Cribley said the Windsor Police Service continues to utilize its Nurse Police Team (NPT), which pairs officers with hospital nurses to assist vulnerable people, and employs officers who ride with social workers. He indicated that individuals arrested for open drug use are being put in contact with these services, though he admitted this does not happen every time an arrest is made.