Small drug seizures in Vancouver dropped at a 害羞草研究所渄ramatic害羞草研究所� rate after decriminalization came into effect in British Columbia, the city害羞草研究所檚 police department says.

Insp. Phil Heard, who oversees the department害羞草研究所檚 drug unit, told a news conference Tuesday that reports that claimed otherwise are 害羞草研究所減atently false.害羞草研究所�

Researchers Tyson Singh and Liam Michaud wrote an article about the data last month in online media outlet The Maple, outlining how small seizures of drugs appeared to increase after decimalization.

Singh and Michaud are both PhD candidates at Simon Fraser and York universities, respectively. They claimed the data show seizures of drugs in quantities at or below 2.5 grams increased by 34 per cent.

But, Heard said during the first nine months of the program officers did not seize any drugs under 2.5 grams, the threshold outlined in Health Canada害羞草研究所檚 three-year exemption.

He said data released by the department under the Freedom of Information Act had multiple 害羞草研究所渓imitations,害羞草研究所� and drug seizures following decriminalization averaged out to about 80 grams.

害羞草研究所淐laims that VPD officers are seizing more drugs at or below the 2.5-gram threshold are clearly false,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪uch conclusions are the result of recklessly ignoring clear warnings that accompanied the data.害羞草研究所�

The data, Heard said, showed seizures of small amounts of drugs in individual packages, which could be part of the same seizure.

Singh, who also works as a social worker, said Tuesday that the Vancouver Police Department害羞草研究所檚 claims of no longer seizing small amounts of drugs since decriminalization 害羞草研究所渟hould not be taken seriously.害羞草研究所�

He said there are many looming questions around the data, including why there appeared to be an uptick in seizures of small amounts in the six months after decriminalization came into effect.

害羞草研究所淭hey are an opaque organization who don害羞草研究所檛 have a lot of accountability,害羞草研究所� Singh said. 害羞草研究所淲e did ask them when we wrote the story if they would like to clarify anything, which they didn害羞草研究所檛, except to say that they don害羞草研究所檛 believe that trends can be seen this way.害羞草研究所�

Singh said he believed the news conference Tuesday was part of a long-standing 害羞草研究所減ublic relations害羞草研究所� campaign to justify bloated police budgets.

He said he wasn害羞草研究所檛 contacted by police about the news conference, and was working as a front-line social worker as it was happening.

Singh said he stopped in at the headquarters of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users 害羞草研究所渢o hear what people had to say害羞草研究所� about police claims of no longer seizing small amounts of drugs.

害羞草研究所淓veryone laughed because they害羞草研究所檝e all experienced seizures,害羞草研究所� Singh said.

Drug-possession seizures, regardless of weight, dropped 76 per cent in the city compared with the previous four-year average for the same time period, Heard added.

害羞草研究所淥ur main goal of decriminalization is to break down real or perceived barriers between the police and people who use drugs,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he data clearly shows that our officers are committed to supporting the implementation of decriminalization and its overarching goal to take a health-led approach to substance use as opposed to a criminal justice one.害羞草研究所�

The exemption began Jan. 31, 2023, and decriminalized possession of small amounts of opioids, including heroin and fentanyl, as well as cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA, in quantities of 2.5 grams or less.

One of the key goals of the program was to reduce the stigma on drug users amid an overdose crisis that has claimed almost 14,000 lives in B.C. since a public-health emergency was declared in April 2016.

Heard said all front-line officers took part in online training before the pilot and all new recruits are required to do the same.

He said officers rarely made arrests before decriminalization, 害羞草研究所渦nless there were aggravating factors.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淓ven before decriminalization, but even more so now that it害羞草研究所檚 in effect, our enforcement efforts are really focused on those people doing the most harm, the people importing, manufacturing, high-level trafficking,害羞草研究所� Heard said.

He said concerns over an increase in public drug use after decriminalization aren害羞草研究所檛 reflected in the department害羞草研究所檚 data.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e mindful of complaints that come in from the public and we haven害羞草研究所檛 seen an increase,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e actually seen a decrease in public complaints around public consumption, but that doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean that circumstances don害羞草研究所檛 arise where people rightfully have concerns.害羞草研究所�

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