Vancouver Police are applying a new policy to deal with the drug problem in the Downtown East Side.
Drug traffickers will now be targeted by police instead of users, said Police Chief Jim Chu in a press conference Wednesday.
"They will not be charged with possession," said Chu. "Unless there are extenuating circumstances, unless they are practicing in front of a daycare or school."
This will free more officers from the paper work that follows possession charges, allowing them to combat violent crime and street disorder.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he supports the shifting priority of police.
"The focus is on gang crime. The focus is on violent crime that is afflicting our city. That's a critical priority for us. And Vancouver citizens are telling us they want to see that change in priority," said Robertson in a press conference.
Street-checks for misdemeanors such as jay-walking or cycling without a helmet will continue, but not as often as before.
But critics say that police are better off advocating for drug treatment and services such as Insite, the safe injection site on Vancouver's East Hastings Street.
"It could cause people to fear coming to the neighborhood and using the safe injection needle exchanges. This could result in an increase in Aids and Hepatitis C," said David Eby, head of B.C.'s Civil Liberties Association.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry
