2 arrested in Vancouver police crackdown on unsanctioned safe drug supply program
2 arrested in Vancouver police crackdown on unsanctioned safe drug supply program
Police have launched a crackdown on a compassion club in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside with a stated goal of providing a safe – but unsanctioned – drug supply amid the city's ongoing overdose crisis.
The Vancouver Police Department announced Thursday that officers have arrested two people after executing search warrants at the Drug User Liberation Front office on Hastings Street, as well as two homes on the city’s east side.
Speaking at a news conference, Insp. Phil Heard of the VPD's Organized Crime Section acknowledged DULF's harm-reduction efforts while also stating that the organization has "publicly admitted to trafficking controlled substances, including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines."
"We understand the magnitude of the ongoing overdose crisis and the impact drug toxicity deaths have in communities throughout the province, including here in Vancouver," said Heard.
"While DULF’s actions were intended to reduce the harms caused by toxic illicit drug supply, we have always warned that anyone who violates the Criminal Code or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act should expect to face enforcement and criminal charges. This group was knowingly illegally trafficking in drugs. As a result, we took action to stop it."
Ah Lawful Neutral, bane of progress everywhere.
This one is weird because source selection is important, like how hard we should work to limit public funding going to cartels that are causing legitimate harms in those communities.
Sometimes it's more expensive to source the substances ethically, but it's worth doing. I'm sure there are also groups trying to take advantage of these programs for their own gain.
Cartels don't like progress either, they profit off the violence and addiction
because source selection is important
Exactly why we need Neutral Good to come into play here. Are we seriously supposed to believe the cost of lives lost, monetary cost of arresting them, taking them to court, and then housing them in prison, is worth it because 'well it is technically against the law.'
Limited police resources? Better go after the easy targets rather than the worst targets...
Why are the police so fucking stupid.
This is not where I want my tax dollars spent.
Now DULF gets their day in court. That's good news. These laws are harming and killing Canadians who are seeking to ease their pain. DULF was non profit, and they proved that safe drug supply works. They are doing the hard work for us. Get your pocket books ready, we're going to court.
According to DULF's data, no one who is part of their program has overdosed using the drugs they've provided.
They also have claimed DULF has stopped $100,000 from going to gangs in BC by providing the drugs themselves.
DULF has worked with a variety of other organizations as well, and is a contractor with Vancouver Coastal Health providing overdose prevention training, harm reduction help, and drug checking. At the direction of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Jennifer Whiteside, that $200,000 per year contract is ending Oct. 31.
ACAB
"We understand the magnitude of the ongoing overdose crisis and the impact drug toxicity deaths have in communities throughout the province, including here in Vancouver," said Heard.
"While DULF’s actions were intended to reduce the harms caused by toxic illicit drug supply, [...] This group was knowingly illegally trafficking in drugs. As a result, we took action to stop it.
Rather:
"I understand that this operation is the best solution to this crisis, but I'm just doing my job.™"
This is so ass backwards.
We give access to street level users, who view this as a source of income. They know there's a market for safer drugs, so they sell what they get. Meanwhile, that market, they aren't allowed access to the safer drugs, and so they go to the secondary market, where they are trivially available.
We don't allow access to the people who want the drugs, we only allow access to the people who want a money resource. And we wonder why their being diverted? Are we on drugs?
"Glad the police got those scum arrested and off our streets. They were negatively affecting my business!"
-Local competing illicit drug dealers.