Editor:
Re: Care of intoxicated persons should not be left to police, Jan. 4 letters
It may not have been intentional but Dr. Shantz makes it sound that the only option for British Columbia police is to arrest intoxicated persons and hold them in jail cells until sober. He quotes from a report in part that “the care of intoxicated persons should not be a police responsibility.”
Police agencies have been presenting that argument for decades and earlier in that report is another statement made by the IIO which reads, “There are other options (to arrest) including sobering centres and having health care professionals on site to assist with the care of intoxicated persons. Both of these options are already utilized in various locations in British Columbia.”
I’m surprised that Dr. Shantz didn’t mention that most intoxicated persons in B.C., at least in urban centres and larger communities, do not go to jail. In fact they go to a Sobering Centre or a hospital where they are monitored by health professionals. There are cases when an individual is refused entry to a Sobering Centre and that is usually because the individual is violent and/or threatening. To maintain public safety the person is lodged in cells. Often those persons, once sober, are released without charge.
A very quick Google search would have surfaced information on some tremendously successful, decades old programs which are collaborations between the police, the province, municipalities and cities, Recovery Clubs and most importantly various Health Authorities.
I’m quite pleased by the IIO’s report in that it shines a light on a very important and not-so-easily-fixed issue. While government and many other agencies grapple with how to best deliver individual care and maintain public safety the police are usually the first on scene to deal with these difficult situations. Much more information on how the police are mandated to respond can be obtained from police agencies themselves who all have detailed policy on intoxicated persons. These are all public documents and can be obtained from the police agencies or the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
Max Chalmers, Surrey