British Columbia mayors demand provincial aid for crime and drug crisis

At the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Vancouver, British Columbia community leaders and activists have issued urgent calls for provincial intervention regarding public safety and the toxic drug crisis.

Local mayors signed a ‘Contract with Communities’ to demand that senior governments better resource initiatives addressing crime, violence, mental health, and addiction. Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto noted that while local governments are attempting to fill gaps in social services, the current scale of these complex issues is unsustainable for municipalities alone.

Simultaneously, drug user groups and harm reduction advocates organized a die-in to protest the ongoing public health crisis. Activists are calling for a comprehensive, evidence-based drug policy, arguing that harm reduction is an indispensable link to recovery and that current resource cuts to overdose prevention and safe supply programs are failing the community.