(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

members at risk

Mounties concerned about safety at Red Deer’s overdose prevention site

Jul 25, 2019 | 11:09 AM

There are ongoing efforts to address concerns regarding the safety of police officers who attend Red Deer’s temporary overdose prevention site (OPS).

Red Deer RCMP Superintendent Gerald Grobmeier tells rdnewsNOW there has been an uptick of calls for service in the area around the OPS, which is located in the Railyards district next to Safe Harbour, and that some of them have put officers at risk.

It was June 4 when an officer responding to a trespassing complaint on Gaetz Avenue near the OPS was knocked out by a 42-year-old man.

On Canada Day, a man pulled a knife on Mounties at the warming centre next to the OPS.

The latest trend, according to Grobmeier, is people in the area swarming police officers.

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“It has become more dangerous,” he says. “Sometimes they’ll go to deal with stuff and they’ll have eight to 12 people standing around them. Well that’s pretty intimidating for a police officer.”

“That’s not a situation that any officer wants to be in. Plus, they’re likely all carrying needles, and they may or may not be high at that time. It’s not a good environment. It’s not how people should interact with the police.”

Grobmeier says they’ve made it very clear things need to change.

“We meet with the OPS (staff), at minimum, monthly and talk to them on the phone weekly. We have expressed our concerns, and they certainly have concerns with it as well. We’ve made it clear that the way clientele is acting outside is not acceptable, and we have taken a different enforcement tactic with that.”

OPS staff has committed to relaying RCMP concerns to clients.

Sarah Fleck with Turning Point believes these conversations are having a positive impact.

“There is definitely a historical relationship between some of our clients and the RCMP, so messaging that comes through the members to the clients may be perceived in a different way than if it’s coming some of us without that historical situation that happened,” says Fleck.

She adds that respect for the police and ensuring a safe environment for everyone is of utmost importance in light of increased activity in the area.

“The warming centre for the first time has had an increase in funding. They’ve increased their hours and their capacity, and are now operating 24 hours a day, not just when it’s cold,” she points out. “So there is an influx of people to this general area. We see 125 a day (at the OPS), but Safe Harbour’s numbers are higher than that.”

Grobmeier says RCMP are willing to be flexible, but within reason.

“We know full well that they have drugs on them. You don’t go to the OPS unless you have drugs with you. We’re trying not to impede them from that, trying not to intimidate them from going there and we’re not seizing their drugs as their walking to there,” Grobmeier acknowledges.

“But there has to be a level of decorum and respect for the other people that are there, for Safe Harbour, the other businesses and society in general. If we find somebody downtown Red Deer and we’re dealing with them on another matter and we find drugs, they’re getting charged.”