The City of Belleville has declared a State of Emergency in regards to the rash of close to two dozen overdoses in the downtown in the last two days.
Mayor Neil Ellis was on the Lorne Brooker Show on Thursday morning to provide an update.
“We need help, we need to sit down and discuss, as all municipalities are starting to do this. Hamilton and Ottawa have done it. We cannot as a municipality have a solution for it without the other two levels of government.”
Ellis says the State of Emergency also entitles the municipality to apply for funding if there is money available.
He added that homelessness and substance abuse are provincial issues and issues municipalities cannot solve on their own.
“These social issues are killing a lot of cities, affecting every city across Ontario and Canada.”
Ellis believes there are roughly 200 homeless within the city boundaries currently.
Belleville Police Chief Mike Callaghan says the judicial system has its own piece of blame.
“We could potentially have them charged in the morning and in the afternoon have them out on bail selling again. That’s a huge challenge for us.”
Callaghan says the network of organized crime, with which the drugs are moved is incredible.
“People are actually sticking them to the bottom of ships coming into the country. How they’re putting them in water intakes in ships coming into the country. Once the ship arrives another diver goes in and takes the drugs. It’s unbelievable the network that’s being utilized.”
Deputy Police Chief Chris Barry says the issues surrounding drugs, and the issues involving stolen vehicles in the country, are similar.
“They abolished the ports police 26 years ago. Where you’ve got people that have tags on their cars and they know where they are. They’re in a container at the port of Montreal ready to go out and yet nothing’s done. There needs to be some heavy duty investment in some kind of ports police or reinstatement of ports police in my view.”
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The release from the City of Belleville is below.
Mayor Neil Ellis on behalf of Belleville City Council has declared a state of emergency for the growing addiction, mental health and homelessness crisis and resulting impact on emergency services, and is now calling on senior level governments for support.
Tri-emergency services in Belleville continue to respond to perceived and actual overdoses and, in many cases, are finding multiple patients at one time. On Tuesday afternoon, the largest number was 9 overdoses at one time, during one call for service.
“The past two days have exemplified just how critical the addiction, mental health and homelessness crisis has become in our community,” said Mayor Neil Ellis. “We, as a City, know that we are at the point where doing our best doesn’t cut it anymore. Our emergency services, health care system and municipal resources are being stretched to the very limits and we are close to a breaking point. We need serious action and support from senior level government to deal with this crisis and until we begin to see meaningful discussions on how to address the matter, I fear nothing will change. That is why we are calling on the provincial and federal government for support. I urge our local municipal partners facing the same issues to do the same.”
An Emergency Declaration acts as a request for support from the provincial and federal government, and falls under Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. The Act defines an emergency as a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise.
