Current drug-bust data may seem low compared to the known quantities of illicit substances in the community, but the police chief expects those numbers to increase as cops complete more investigations.
The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) presented May’s crime statistics during the recent Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting. The data showed there were three total drug busts last month, compared to four in May 2022 and six in 2021.
Meanwhile, year-to-date (YTD), from January to May, there were 17 total drug busts, compared to 15 YTD last year and 27 YTD in 2021.
In particular, the YTD numbers for 2023, 2022 and 2021 showed:
- Cocaine: 3 / 3 / 4
- Marijuana: 3 / 5 / 7
- Methamphetamine: 2 / 3 / 7
- Other CDSA drugs: 9 / 4 / 9; this is a year-over-year 125-per-cent increase
While total drug busts are low so far, the police have recovered large volumes during those busts, Police Chief Rick Bourassa said during the meeting. While he didn’t have actual numbers, he knew officers had recovered the largest amount of meth ever.
Many numbers are project-driven, which means police receive information and set up investigations, which can take a while to solve and capture the drugs, he continued. More projects are concluding, so the data will increase later this year.
Furthermore, the MJPS works regularly with other policing agencies — such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) — to solve narcotics-related cases. In particular, the community agency was recently involved in a major international drug trafficking project.
“I can’t speak about it right now (but) we worked with multiple agencies from multiple countries on a resolution,” Bourassa added.
A resident who attended the police board meeting said he thought the crystal meth numbers were too low, based on what’s happening in the community.
In response, Bourassa reiterated that drug-related cases are project-driven, which means officers must follow many procedures before they can arrest people for possession or trafficking. Furthermore, just because police seize drugs doesn’t mean they will automatically lay charges since it depends upon the quantities found.
“If it’s for the possession of trafficking, yes, there would be a charge. (But) a lot of times, it’s cases of simple possession, where people possess a small amount,” said Bourassa.
“We have a whole bunch of options that we can employ in addressing these situations. Laying charges is not the only tool. In fact, it’s one of the last tools we use.”
Instead of criminally charging people, the courts can send them to the John Howard Society for alternative measures, which seeks to rehabilitate people, the chief explained. Meanwhile, the province gives cops and courts many options to divert people from jail, from a cautionary warning up to laying a charge.
Bourassa didn’t think the courts were more lenient today on drug-related offences than 10 years ago. Yet, he warned against viewing non-charges as lenient since some rehabilitative measures place great responsibility on people.
“We always try to get the right solution in place, not what someone might think of as the hardest one or the softest … ,” he added. “And the officers making those decisions do the best they can.”
Service calls
The crime statistics report noted that police have responded to 7,912 calls year-to-date, compared to 7,173 YTD last year and 5,994 YTD in 2021.
Bourassa acknowledged that his members continue to work hard, while many residents are struggling psychologically and call police for help and to be connected to community supports.
The next police board meeting is Thursday, June 6, at 2 p.m. at the Cultural Centre.
