Kelowna business owners cheer end to decriminalization of simple drug possession

RCMP officers will be able to arrest people for simple possession of drugs again, and Kelowna business owners at a Kelowna-sponsored forum on crime and social disorder Tuesday night cheered.

The city held the forum, Jan. 27, at the Kelowna Community Theatre with the intention to hear out business owners after months of complaints about crime, homelessness and street disorder downtown.

Mayor Tom Dyas, Minister of Community Safety Terry Yung, Kelowna RCMP’s officer in charge Supt. Chris Goebel, president of the BC Crown Counsel Association Adam Dalrymple and Interior Health’s Jaymi Chernoff took the stage to say that addressing homelessness, drug use and crime is going to take solutions from every angle.

The panelists were joined on stage by a local business owner, Jenna Kopperson, who owns Deville Coffee on Bernard Avenue.

There was frustration with people shouting and demanding action from authorities. There were also complaints about the forum’s format since questions had to be asked online and it took more than an hour and a half for the panel to address questions from the audience.

A major point raised by the panel and the audience was the drug decriminalization pilot program, and how that is set to officially come to an end Saturday, Jan. 31.

Supt. Goebel said the goal is to start arresting people who are openly using drugs and causing the street disorder that businesses have been complaining about.

The city’s top cop said decriminalization of possession has had a negative impact on policing.

“We can’t stop them, we can’t check them, we can’t identify them, we can’t check for warrants. It was really, really impactful,” he said.

“It is my intent that we need to do the work that we’re set out to do by arresting people who are doing those things.”

While RCMP will be able to arrest people again, they won’t be able to hold them without recommending charges to prosecutors that police think will get approved. But Supt. Goebel said arresting people should help change people’s behaviour downtown and redirect them to the outdoor sheltering site on the Okanagan Rail Trail.

“Part of what we’re doing with the patrols and changing behavior is saying that it’s not acceptable to be in an alcove, it’s not acceptable to be on the sidewalk. There’s one place in the city where you can shelter outdoors and encouraging people to go to that location which is not in your doorway or in your alcove or in your alleyway,” he said.

The forum covered a range of issues when it comes to street disorder like police resources, a lack of prosecutors in the courts and how the city manages cleaning up drug paraphernalia like needles.

It also covered solutions like redirecting some officers to increase patrols downtown, a CCTV camera registry, a securing small business rebate program and advocating for five more prosecutors for Kelowna.

“We know there is a lot more to do,” mayor Dyas told business owners at the forum. “The answer to public safety is not one agency or one program. It is going to take every partner on this stage doing their part.”