Regina could soon follow cities like Saskatoon and Vancouver and look into the possibility of decriminalizing the simple possession of drugs.
Coun. Andrew Stevens is putting forward a motion to the Board of Police Commissioners at its next meeting on Aug. 31.
He shared the motion on his Facebook page, suggesting a move which is being billed as a way to deal with the deadly overdose crisis, treating drugs as a health issue rather than a criminal one.
Following the lead of cities like Vancouver and Saskatoon, I'm bringing forward this motion (with Commissioner Juliet…
Posted by Andrew Stevens Ward 3 City Councillor on Tuesday, August 10, 2021
The motion calls for a feasibility study involving the City of Regina, Regina Police Service, Saskatchewan Health Authority and community groups.
In May, the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners discussed the topic of drug decriminalization after receiving a letter from a resident who asked to consider it under a federal exemption for prohibited substances in certain circumstances. The board said it needed more information before moving forward.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police supported the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs last summer, pointing to evidence it would be effective in reducing harms to public health and safety.
980 CJME has reached out to Stevens to learn more about his motion, but had yet to receive a reply by the time of publication.