Scott Thompson

Last fall, a new item popped up on the Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) website: The VPD's Drug Policy.

  VPD Drug Policy Coordinator Inspector Scott Thompson wrote the original draft of the policy and then saw it through about 15 drafts, before it reached its final form. "We wanted something that other police organizations and the public could look to and see our public stand on these (drug-related) issues."

  Thompson said the VPD was aware that there were "urban myths" about its view on innovative drug strategies in Vancouver and wanted to be very clear on its drug policies. "At some level, it was a bit of a reaction," Thompson said. "You want to set the record straight."

For example, the public seemed to be unclear on the VPD's stand on the Supervised Injection Site (SIS). The Drug Policy sets out the VPD's position on the SIS (it's supportive) and other harm-reduction measures it supports, such as needle exchanges.

The 10-page, comprehensive document outlines the VPD drug policy which is, as it states, "based on a Four Pillars strategy of prevention, enforcement, harm reduction and treatment."

The VPD drug police is based on a Four Pillars strategy of prevention, enforcement, harm reduction and treatment.

The document give some background on its decision to create the document, defines terms included in it and then uses the four-pillar structure to outline the VPD policy.

The document makes the VPD's stand on drug policy clear to the public and also to the VPD executive and managers, members of the Police Board and the City of Vancouver.

In his introduction to the document, posted on the VPD website, Thompson says that the policy will "guide its members in their day-to-day policing practice and discretionary application of the law, as well as when commenting publicly on drug policy."

The goal, Thompson said in an interview, is "to have one voice on these issues."

Thompson said that the VPD consulted broadly in creating the document; it reviewed it extensively with stakeholders throughout the department. That process will continue with this living document, Thompson said, as the VPD is now committed to revisiting the policy and document annually.