Could the Greater Sudbury Police’s Support First Initiative, an initiative targeting open drug use from a “diversion over detention” perspective, be harming the substance users they hope to help?
That’s the fear expressed by the Community Drug Strategy* in interviews just after the GSPS announcement of their “month-long framework” designed to reduce open drug use through a “compassionate and community-based approach.” The Community Drug Strategy is made up of several of community agencies co-led by the Réseau ACCESS Network and Public Health Sudbury and Districts.
Both lead organizations say they’re concerned that increased police presence will drive people who use substances to hidden, isolated areas; with the toxic nature of the street drugs available, that almost certainly means death, they said.
On Dec. 1, the police released their statistics: there has been a decrease in open drug use, whether that is good or bad is left to be seen.
‘A Compassionate Strategy’
Launched to address the “range of complex social and safety challenges” in the downtown core, the Support First Initiative is described by GSPS as an initiative that “prioritizes connecting individuals experiencing addiction with vital support services” such as housing, food, and treatment before considering enforcement.”
“Arrests are reserved for cases where individuals repeatedly decline assistance, are non-compliant and pose a significant risk to public safety,” reads the Dec. 1 release. “Working in collaboration with local organizations, GSPS officers have been engaging directly with vulnerable individuals, offering pathways to recovery and stability. The initiative emphasizes diversion over detention, aiming to build trust, reduce harm, and foster a healthier downtown environment.”
The release states that from Nov. 3-28, GSPS officers performed 238 focused patrols and 59 “person stops” in the downtown core.
GSPS said officers issued 18 warnings under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and performed eight arrests for “drug offences,” though it is unclear what charges or what level of offences.
The release said “seizures” included: 41g cocaine, 17.3g fentanyl, 11 Percocet, 10.2g crack cocaine, 15 syringes, 33 pipes, and one 9mm Glock handgun
One person was arrested and 13 warnings were issued under the Trespass to Property Act (TTPA) and 11 warnings were issued for panhandling, said police.
There was also a “Year-over-Year Comparison (November 2024 vs. November 2025).”
It noted a 57-per-cent increase in focused patrols, a 17-per-cent decrease in unwanted person calls, a 159-per-cent increase in drug offence calls, a 45-per-cent decrease in ambulance assistance calls and 71-per-cent decrease in break and enters. It is unclear what the change year to year is attributed to as the Support First Initiative only ran one month.
Fewer people using drugs or simply going underground?
GSPS also included “Open-Air Drug Use Trends” in their press release, detailing each week's “occurence” and any change to the number. The reason for the reduction is unstated.
- Week 1: 26 reported occurrences
- Week 2: 16 occurrences (38 per cent reduction compared to week 1)
- Week 3: 8 occurrences (69 per cent reduction compared to week 1)
- Week 4: 7 occurrences (73 per cent reduction compared to week 1)
From the release: “Of the 57 total occurrences, only 31.5 per cent were reported by the public; the remainder were identified through proactive officer patrols.”
And while fewer cases of open drug use may seem like a good thing, the Community Drug Strategy and Réseau ACCESS Network are concerned with the isolation brought on by policing public drug use, people beginning to use out of sight.
That’s because the toxicity of the drugs, the unknown agents added without the users knowledge can cause death in even the most experienced. With no one there to perform CPR, use naloxone or even call for help, the worst can happen.
“We know that isolation during substance use really increases the risk of fatal drug poisoning, because there may be no one there to intervene,” public health nurse Tina Skjonsby-McKinnon told Sudbury.com.
And as to why someone might choose to use drugs on a sidewalk, rather than in secret? “People who use drugs might feel like it’s their only option, hoping that someone might intervene in the case of a drug poisoning.”
It’s a concern echoed by Kaela Pelland, manager of education and engagement with Réseau ACCESS Network.
“When individuals are displaced or fear police contact, they often use drugs in more hidden and unsafe settings,” Pelland said in a statement to Sudbury.com. “This increases the risk of fatal overdose, HIV and hepatitis C transmission, and various infections through sharing of equipment, rushed or unsterile injection, inhalation or snorting. This also makes outreach and peer support far more difficult.”
Dec. 2 saw Public Health Sudbury & Districts warn of a rise in drug poisonings (overdoses) and “unexpected reactions to substances,” with a warning not to use substances alone.”
During his Nov. 27 presentation at a community and emergency services committee meeting of city council members, Public Health Sudbury and Districts medical officer of health and CEO Dr. Mustafa Hirji said the suspected drug poisoning mortality rate in Sudbury and Districts is 62.2 per 100,000 people, ranking No. 3 among health units in the province, behind Thunder Bay District and Northwestern District.
The provincial average is 22.4 per 100,000.
But of Sudbury and Districts suspected drug poisoning deaths from 2022-25, 384 took place in private residences (119 took place in other locations); in other words, out of sight or alone.
The Support First Initiative aims to offer “pathways to recovery and stability,” and lists among their work “190 referrals to support services, of which 30 accepted, 103 declined, 57 unknown outcome.”
However, Hirji told city council, “We are maxed out in terms of people using substance use treatment. We have wait-lists … and the access to that care is just not there.”
There is also the potential for the police to be the wrong messengers for the message. There are countless studies that show people who use drugs avoid police, with one study describing young people’s view of police authority as "limitless, unpredictable, untethered, easily abused, and lacking accountability.”
In an article with Sudbury.com in October after the November increase in policing was announced, Greater Sudbury Police Chief Sara Cunningham said the hope is that by arresting people, they’ll work substances out of their systems while incarcerated and exit jail “in a good position to be potentially supported.”
However, drug poisoning is the co-leading cause of non-natural deaths in custody (with suicide) and was the cause of death listed in 17 of 46 in custody deaths in Ontario in 2024.
Cunningham also said police will be notified when drug users are released from jail, at which point they’ll be educated on what services are available, such as transitional housing.
However, when a person is arrested and placed in jail, they immediately lose access to any income supplements they may be on, such as Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Payments (ODSP). When they leave jail, they will have no money and space in transitional housing, like the Lorraine Street project, may not be available.
In an Oct. 9 interview, city CAO Shari Lichterman told Sudbury.com the city needs at least two similar such facilities alongside more affordable housing, including subsidized housing. The city’s current waitlist for subsidized housing is almost 2,000 households, and it’s currently taking people “years” to move into housing.
At a recent roundtable on homelessness, Raymond Landry of the Homelessness Network said they had only been able to house eight people from the By-Name List, which is currently at 275. Fewer than 40 per cent of people in encampments are on the list.
In their report, the John Howard Society refers to this cycle as the pipeline from jail to homelessness.
And this cycle can often turn people away from care altogether, even with outreach and health care workers with whom they’ve built trust.
“When people feel safe to reach out, they're more likely to survive and engage in care,” said Skjonsby-McKinnon. “Without care, if they are less able or willing to access safe supplies, there is a higher risk of blood borne infections such as hepatitis C, HIV and other infections.”
Treatment for Hepatitis C can cost the health-care system $50-$100,000, compared to the cost of a needle to avoid sharing.
Community safety: true danger or perceived fear
“Moving people out of sight is not more important than that person’s life and wellbeing. It is important to identify the difference between being unsafe and being uncomfortable,” said Pelland. “Witnessing poverty and deteriorating physical and mental health is uncomfortable, not necessarily unsafe for the public. The people most vulnerable and at-risk of unsafe activity are those in poverty, who are unhoused, and who are using the unregulated, toxic drug supply.”
“We also remain concerned about the continued absence of a supervised consumption site in Sudbury,” said Pelland. “The closure of The Spot left a critical gap in substance use care, overdose prevention and public health infrastructure.”
Greater Sudbury Police will continue their “ongoing community engagement” said the release,
“Through regular foot and bike patrols, GSPS officers continue to: build trust with residents and business owners, respond quickly to crimes in progress, connect vulnerable community members with community supports, apprehend and arrest individuals who pose elevated risks to public safety.
They also include a list of “public safety contacts,” including the GSPS non-emergency line (705)675-9171 as well as the link for online reporting, found here. For emergencies, call 911.
“Together, we are committed to fostering a downtown that is safe, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all,” reads the police release. “The Support First Initiative represents a meaningful step toward 360 Community Safety – where health, compassion, and accountability work hand in hand for public safety.”
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com, covering vulnerable and marginalized populations, as well as housing issues and the justice system.
*This article has been corrected to clarify the organizations behind the Community Drug Strategy.