Saskatoon police using education to prep for new safe injection site

Saskatoon was approved for the province’s first-ever safe consumption site on Tuesday.

AIDS Saskatoon, who manages the site, has already started renovations on the new location on 20th Street, where Pleasant Hill Bakery used to be.

The exemption has been allowed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It includes inhalation, injection, intranasal and oral consumption.

The Saskatoon Police Service is preparing for the opening of the new consumption site, and are focusing on education to prevent issues in that area.

Inspector Cam McBride said they’ve been part of a lot of the processes already and have dedicated their time to help make the site work in the safest and best way possible.

“We got involved right at the ground level with regard to providing some consultation,” McBride said. “We’re in the middle of a significant fact-finding mission in order to find out what we may expect to see happen in the community.”

McBride said they’ve traveled to other sites around the country, and have spoken with police forces to begin to create their own policies and procedures, and what they should expect.

The Inspector didn’t shy away from the issues in the area, but he said the research implied that it would work best there.

“The police service had no role (determining) where it would go, or where it should go. All we’re doing is saying ‘okay, this is where it’s going to be, what’s our role in terms of supporting community and (its) work being done (at the site).'”

McBride said they hope that they can ensure the negative impact on the community is at the bare minimum of what it could be.

“We believe that good work is going to happen within the site. I think there’s lots of research out there that proves the work done within those sites, provided it’s done according to best practice … it’s a big benefit to the community,” he said.

McBride said a lot of education with their members will be taken to show the benefits to the community, and how to work within the philosophy while maintaining order.

He said they’ll still be working with trafficking and associated crime issues that go along with the types of drugs that will be consumed at the area.

“There becomes a concentration of people who use the site on a regular basis, and that becomes their community, their group of friends, the place where they’re comfortable.

“What we have been working toward is a sense of guardianship, and the sense of being a good neighbour.”

He said they need AIDS Saskatoon to become “guardians of their own space,” and taking care of what’s going on inside and out of the facility.

This becomes a partnership for the two organizations that McBride believes will have a good working relationship, come time that the doors open.

“We don’t want what’s happening outside the facility to overshadow the good work that’s happening inside the facility. We’ll be working closely with AIDS Saskatoon.”

McBride said a good foundation will go a long way to make the site a successful environment for all residents of Saskatoon.