Drug crisis grim reality for city’s downtown
By Lethbridge Herald on April 18, 2023.
Lethbridge Police Service Sgt. Ryan Darroch of the downtown policing unit gives a presentation to residents and business owners about the current drug crisis in the city’s downtown, Tuesday at Casa.
Herald photo by Delon ShurtzDelon Shurtz – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – dshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
Once known as a quiet, family oriented community, Lethbridge is quickly becoming better known as the drug and crime capital of Canada.
“We still have the highest crime index in the country, based on our population,” says Sgt. Ryan Darroch of the Lethbridge Police Service.
Darroch, who gave a presentation Tuesday at Casa on the current drug crisis downtown, said southern Alberta is leading Canada in overdose deaths per capita, but the Lethbridge region is leading the rest of the province.
It’s a grim picture Darroch painted for a group of Lethbridge residents and business owners, but one that reflects the reality of the drug crisis in the city.
Not that long ago, cocaine was the drug of choice, today, however, methamphetamine and fentanyl are the most popular drugs, and they are killing people at an alarming rate, and Lethbridge is no exception.
“Vancouver recently came out saying that they had 44 overdose deaths in a 12-hour shift,” Darroch said following his presentation. “We’re not far behind.”
Darroch, who is a member of the downtown policing unit, said two kinds of drugs, stimulants and depressants, are “crushing” the downtown. And as bad as cocaine was, and continues to be, the current drug problems are so much worse.
“Methamphetamine has taken over as the most popular drug in the City of Lethbridge and area.”
Meth causes, among other symptoms, hyperactivity, restlessness and twitching, and it raises blood pressure and causes users to sweat, even in the cold of winter. And although it can be consumed in several ways, using a meth pipe or “bubble” is the most common method. That method, Darroch pointed out, has far surpassed the use of needles to inject meth into the blood stream.
Of all the opiates – oxycodone, oxycontin, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, morphine – meth is king, but they all have a significant impact on the human body.
When a person uses opiates, the chemicals in the drug hijack the natural opioid receptors in the central nervous system and brain, then replace the dopamine with synthetic dopamine. The person feels happy and experiences a sudden rush of ease, well-being and euphoria. As opiate abuse continues, the brain stops producing natural dopamine because there is an abundance of it.
Where there are drugs, weapons are typically found, as well, and weapons often seized during downtown busts include bear spray, machetes and Airsoft pistols, which shoot plastic BBs using compressed air.
“Are they dangerous? Absolutely. Can they hurt someone? Absolutely. But I think the biggest danger is pointing them at someone who has a real firearm.”
Darroch, who estimates there are hundreds, if not thousands, of addicts in the Lethbridge area, said even though the downtown policing unit is doing its best to curb drug use, it’s difficult with only three officers.
At one time there were about a dozen officers, but the number has dropped, not from staffing cuts, but from a reduction in the number of people applying to be police officers.
There is also the constant struggle to prosecute drug traffickers, who are repeatedly freed on bail despite repeated arrests and charges.
That was one of several concerns expressed by people who listened to Darroch’s presentation.
Darroch said police are doing their job to arrest and charge drug offenders, but “when those files go to court, that’s a different story.”
Darroch pointed out it becomes a federal issue and a lack of will by the federal government to prosecute the smaller drug busts.
“It is frustrating, for sure.”
The number of times an offender is arrested then released on bail is also frustrating, and even though police chiefs in Canada are fighting for bail reform, nothing has changed yet.
23-22
It was a great presentation and Sgt. Darroch has always giving this city 110% on the job. If people knew how hard their jobs are and what they have to deal with everyday, there would be a greater appreciation for what they give of themselves, daily to this community.
I believe it was in Vancouver that stats showed that 40 people were arrested 6,000 times last year. The same 40 people? If you averaged that it means each person was arrested 150 times last year.
Our judicial and penal systems are a joke! Is there any wonder police forces across North America are having recruiting issues? Eligible candidates will not work in a job where people are always dumping on them, verbally abusing them, often assaulting them and the new trend, shooting them, as we see a high rate of officers killed this year for Canada. Then there are the defunders, who scream defund the police, but if someone even looks at them the wrong way, the call 911.
It was sad more didn’t attend! There is another Police Information Session coming up April 20th on the northside and people should go, get engaged and hear the police information and present your concerns.
Get engaged if you want change or just to learn more about issues!
Thank you for a great presentation Sergeant and for the great work you and LPS do for our city while undermanned!
Agree pursuit. The Frank Cannons, Joe Mannix’s and the CSI armchair police need to get off their criticizing butts and get behind the police. You make some various credible points. Who wants to put up with the revolving door crap when I can be a Tik Tok cowboy. Further it is suggested that at the next one, Shannon Phillips be introduced as a special guest speaker and she can explain how the SCS works(ed) and just how much of a wonderful benefit it has been to downtown residence and businesses in her constituency. Not too much to ask????
Thank you for your informed response and sharing, pursuit driver.
I would add that this is not a downtown problem, but a problem all over town.
I am somewhat agreeing with you, Montreal13, but, as a former resident of the city, who remains within close proximity, I have to say that almost all of the citys drug addicts and homeless population come from all areas of Lethbridge, and almost all of them end up closing in on the downtown area, where the drugs are most accessible. Most dealers will either move to, or rent a trap house downtown because the rent is cheapest and the “normal” population tends to avoid that part of the city, leaving the addicts and dealers to do their thing without being bothered by outsiders. I believe it is detrimental to all of Lethbridge that an entire reconstruction of the entire downtown area, which I consider to be the heart of the city, be made first priority, alongside getting the rest of the drugs and dealers out of there, if we truly want to save Lethbridge. Unfortunately, Lethbridge is a just a tiny speck of dust on the world as a whole. In reality, something needs to change for the entire planet, and fast, if we want to be saved. Sitting back and letting others do all the dirty work is quickly becoming nothing short of mass suicide. If nobody puts effort into saving us, we might as well be digging our own graves. And don’t be discouraged because it only takes one person to initiate the mental and emotional changes, and then the physical changes to make it happen. We have to be what we want to see. It’s up to us to make the choice to take a chance, if we want to see things change.
And keep in mind that every addict, every dealer, every homeless person, are people too. We all have family and loved ones out there somewhere who want them to heal and come home to where they are safe and loved. So instead of judging them, try putting yourself in their or their loved ones shoes and pray that they don’t become cemented on your own feet one day.