Intoxicated people dying in jail cells is part of a problem that British Columbia’s police watchdog says is an “outdated practice” of holding them for their own protection when they should be getting health care.
Ronald J. MacDonald, the chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office, says detaining people who are intoxicated offers no guarantee of safety or health and leads to worse outcomes for most.
His report, released on Monday, says police officers should not be responsible for caring for intoxicated people, as it is a health care issue.
Meanwhile Belleville’s Chief of Police Mike Callaghan has already been working with community partners to establish an addictions and detox centre in the city, telling people recently at a public meeting that holding people in a jail cell until sober does a disservice to both the police and the victim.
