Province plans new police unit in Swan River

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This article was published 20/11/2024 (638 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Swan River residents and business owners have been forced to contend with thousands of used needles littering parks and playgrounds for more than a year.

The province is ready to help them.

This week, Prairie Mountain Health, which provides harm reduction in the community, announced it had started a needle cleanup program from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

On Thursday, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe will be in the community, along with Swan River RCMP detachment commander Staff Sgt. Steve Hensen, Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson, and Agricultural Minister Ron Kostyshyn, MLA for Dauphin, to announce the province will fund the creation of a new police unit there.

“In Swan River, folks have come together with (the) government,” said Wiebe in response to a question during question period on Wednesday.

“They want to work on solutions. They want to understand what our path forward can be when we work together. That’s why we are pleased to announce that we will be investing in a general investigations unit out in Swan River that will bring together law enforcement to go after the toxic drugs and the drug dealers that are bringing those into our communities.”

Jacobson told the Free Press health officials told town council earlier this year that more than 500,000 needles had been given out in the last year.

He said both Prairie Mountain Health and the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network have been handing out needles for the last decade, but the network staff have stopped.

“This is an alarming number; it is stunning,” the mayor said.

“How can this be possible? It is definitely a drug problem and we’ve been trying to ring the alarm bells with the province. We’ve been lobbying hard to get help and some will be announced (Thursday).”

On its website, the town says it has set up several sharp collection boxes throughout the community. It has provided links to instruct people about the safe way to handle and dispose of sharps.

Jacobson said he hopes to see a plan to help drug addicts.

“There’s little or no option for rehabilitation here,” he said. “Even with needle pickup, it’s just one more expense for the province of Manitoba.

“There’s no long-term plan. If we don’t have a plan, we will be continuing to give needles to people. We have to address this issue.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca