Police chief wants more officers visible in Barrie's opioid crisis

Substance abuse in the city was top of mind during Thursday's Barrie Police Services Board meeting.

While discussing recent community safety survey results detailed in a summary report, board members discussed what they said was the No. 1 issue with respondents, which is substance abuse. More than 40 per cent of the people who completed the survey listed it as their biggest safety concern in the city.

Board member Lynn Strachan, a former city councillor, noted that it is higher than any other single concern has registered in the past.

“It is incredibly concerning to see, but not surprising," Police Chief Rich Johnston said during the monthly meeting, which was held at police headquarters on Fairview Road. "We face an opioid crisis, like everywhere else in Ontario ... It is expansive and it is increasing at a drastic rate.

“We do recognize substance abuse … is a health issue, but it has implications for public safety and perceptions of that," the chief added. "We are exploring a strategy within our downtown as well as our park areas to address that.”

Johnston said Barrie police will be reaching out to community partners as well as the individuals who are “potentially suffering and are in the throes of substance abuse.”

He stressed that city police want to increase officer presence in heavily populated areas, “so when they see us, there is a greater feeling of safety, so we are targeting that as an initiative to drastically increase so that people are safe and feel safe, which is sometimes an impossible balance, but we endeavour to do that.”

Figures show Barrie had 95 opioid-related deaths in 2017-19, 59 deaths in 2020, 74 in 2021, and 60 in 2022.

These numbers are for the Barrie Canada Census subdivision in Simcoe-Muskoka.

Ontario had 4,260 opioid-related deaths in 2017-19, 2,437 deaths in 2020, 2,849 in 2021, and 2,517 in 2022, according to Census Canada.

Board chair Greg Ferguson said they will be addressing the police staffing request at the next board meeting in May.

“We will be bringing forward a request for funding for our community safety and well-being," he said. "Hopefully there will be some additional funding for that, and we will be looking for a plan to deploy those funds and to meet that specific goal."

Earlier in the meeting, and in relation to police staffing, board vice-chair and Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson singled out the appointment of new auxiliary officers.

“People stepping up to do this job, it’s something the community needs and it’s very appreciated," he said.