Cities and municipalities struggle to pay wages and benefits for needed policing services.
Detox and treatment centres, such as Crossroads, which provides essential residential services for the whole of the Okanagan, struggle to exist.
Is there a common cause here?
Because of our policy that criminalizes the use of substances like marijuana we keep police costs up as they struggle to enforce what is unenforceable. Because current drug policy sets up a black market and gang warfare that drives up enforcement costs, we do not have enough funds for prevention, harm reduction and treatment of addictions, i.e. Crossroads in Kelowna.
If we change the policy and put cannabis under a legally regulated, taxed, and public health control model, we decrease the need for police staffing, and we have a source of income to pay for needed treatment centres like Crossroads.
Police themselves admit that about 50 per cent of their work is drug-related. A gang-related murder costs us $1 million.
Richard Rolke, in his column, says, “Broader societal issues of drugs, mental health and housing rest with senior government. As long as Ottawa and Victoria sit on their hands, there will always be gaps to service.”
We here in our community are the ones who are paying for policy that is failing. If you want your taxes lowered, and you want adequate drug and alcohol treatment services in the Okanagan, send letters to your MP and MLA and complain about what you are having to pay because of misguided drug policy.
Just because it is a federal issue does not mean we are helpless.
We are also being let down by our provincial government, which chooses to turn a blind eye to the problem, and does not push Ottawa towards change.
Please check out www.stoptheviolencebc.org
David M. Kennedy
Vernon
