Police urge safe-injection sites to offer rehab programs, support services

Edmonton police say safe-injection sites alone are not enough to help drug users or to make the city safer.

Rather, they're advocating for centres with built-in rehabilitation programs that will reduce the number of addicts who need safe-injection sites in the first place.

"We're certainly not going to get everybody off the street," Det. Guy Pilonsaid at a news conference on Friday.

"But at least if the services are there and we're offering services, hopefully we're going to be able to get some of those persons off the street."

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The city is considering four safe-injection sites for Edmonton one at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and three others at existing community agencies.

Addresses for the three satellite locations have not been announced, though Pilon said they would likely open near other hospitals in the city.

Public consultationis scheduled fortwo weeks in early 2017.

Community wellness centre

Edmonton police chief Rod Knecht has voiced his support for the idea. At a year-end interview, he said safe-injection sites would make it easier for the city to deal withdrug-related crime and addiction.

Earlier this month, Knecht toured Vancouver'sInsiteclinic with other Alberta police chiefs. The clinic is the first safe-injection site of its kind in Canada.

Now, Edmonton police want to find ways to adapt Vancouver's model to Edmonton's streets.

Pilonsaid the best solution is a community wellness centre with on-site social workers and addictions counsellors.

"[Addiction]becomes virtually an endless loop where they're there with really no way out," he said. "So there has to be more in place than just a place for them to go and inject drugs and use needles.

"You never really lose that addiction, but you can be functioning, you can keep a job, you can go to school," he said.

Edmonton has supports drugs-users need, Pilon added, namingBoyle Street Community Services and the Bissell Centre.

Safe-injection sites are the perfect place to bring those resources together, he said.