The Windsor Police Service said on Thursday that people openly using illegal drugs in public can now be arrested. Deputy Chief Kenneth Cribley said officers had stopped laying those charges, as addiction is primarily considered a health issue. Federal prosecutors also said around pandemic times that they were unlikely to pursue those cases. After many complaints about open drug use, the WPS said they started laying possession charges. That increased enforcement helped push recorded drug crime up 32 per cent. It’s too early to tell how those charges will continue through the courts. “I think that we’ve heard the concerns and we’re trying to address them and what we have seen, giving out pamphlets, and letting people know you’ve got a facility over there,” said Cribley. “People simply weren’t engaging. So, we decided to start laying charges. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s a dividing line that we’re not viewing this as a serious issue for addiction or health services. We’re still connecting people with the services that are out there, but in many, many cases, we’re going to have a summons with it to attend court.”
