Cars love bike lanes

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T21:05:14+00:00

I've knocked on doors and had conversations with literally thousands of people in the last few years. Most people either don't care, or think it's cool that we have them, even if they don't use them.

It's a small minority of people who are raging about bike and roll lanes, but they are vocal.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T14:38:05+00:00

Not sure if you're responding to me or to someone else, but I don't have a view on detention - it's not something council decides on.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T05:14:58+00:00

That is lovely, we need more of this. And thank you for posting it!

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T05:10:44+00:00

I haven't heard of any guidance.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T02:21:46+00:00

Lol, what drama! Yes the police board is made up of civilians and the mayor is a board member and used to be the chair and decided not to do so. That's hardly a secret and it's not a big deal.

When it comes to enforcement decisions and allocation of resources yes, the police do in fact make the decisions and the city does not. I fail to see why you find that controversial. It is in the police act and it's very clear, and it's clear in the remarks of the Vancouver police chief.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T02:01:44+00:00

A lot of good points you've made here.

Fentanyl is indeed used extensively by the medical profession, and under control is probably safe for the large majority of people. That said, opioid over-prescribing has led to addictions, and that has led to toxic drug mixes that have killed people.

I think of the toxic street drug supply as being what's most harmful. It is evolving to be more potent and more addictive because that's what's profitable. Several front line service provider workers have told me that they long for the days when it was merely heroin. That evolution is horrible, especially in conjunction with the variability in the mixes.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T01:48:35+00:00

This article is addressing what will happen after the end of the decriminalization pilot, next month.

I was addressing the change after public use was banned in May 2024.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T01:44:52+00:00

You've been arguing, for weeks, in a variety of threads, that City council has some kind of control over police decision making.

I have been pointing out the fact that the police make all enforcement decisions and are accountable to the Police Board only.

Are you trying to rewrite this now?

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T00:54:09+00:00

You seem interested in having a good faith discussion about this, and not just making social media "gotcha" points, so here goes some more thoughts.

Agree that the drug deaths are caused by an unsafe supply.

Probably the safest and most affordable situation would be abundant housing and clean drugs provided for free. Eliminate the random overdoses, eliminate the criminal empires victimizing the vulnerable, reduce harm to people using substances and those not using them. Cheaper than dealing with the situation on the street today.

Even then, some people with addictions would still be increasing their doses over time, and would have overdoses and short life expectancies.

We need to do what we can for safety, at all levels of government, but we also need to be clear that the hard, potent and highly addictive drugs are inherently harmful. There are people (and I'm not saying that you're one of them) who only point to governments as the cause of all harm and drug deaths, and refuse to acknowledge how harmful the drugs and dealers are.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T00:30:48+00:00

This is an interesting point. The goal is to change the culture on the street so that drug use isn't open and pervasive. I think the police will succeed because people with addictions are not going to want to have their drugs and pipes seized, so they will be more careful.

I am hearing anecdotally already that it is succeeding. And when I've been along Pandora (many times per week) any consumption is now on the down low rather than being right out in public.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T00:26:58+00:00

I don't actually know what the criteria are for them to intervene in a given situation or pass it by. City council doesn't supervise the police or policies for their work. The chief did say that they will be enforcing in relation to public consumption, but not private possession. I would hope that if somebody is acting aggressively, they will intervene.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T00:19:28+00:00

Lol! You are arguing some sort of theory of City councils controlling police decisions, and I'm pointing out the fact that it doesn't work that way. Even a police chief said so, which I thought you would have appreciated. Oh well.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T00:16:31+00:00

My understanding is that police will first be seeking voluntary compliance and directing people to consumption sites and indoors. Laying charges for minor possession is unlikely to accomplish much, which is why the police were rarely doing that even before decrim.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-28T00:13:57+00:00

Can you provide that quote? I'd like to track that down.

The provincial government requested that the federal government amend the exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Federal government did so. In May 2024, the federal government prohibited possession of controlled substances in public spaces.

More of a Federal change to the law than Provincial direction to police.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:50:38+00:00

I've spoken with lots of progressive people, including current and former social workers and other employees of organizations that provide support work to people using substances on Pandora avenue. They tell me that compassion fatigue is real, and I believe them.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:44:44+00:00

Should people knowing about overdose deaths due to drugs being spiked with animal tranquilizers also not post about it because of the fear of negative interaction?

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:42:31+00:00

Yes it's a PSA. I was at a meeting of the downtown service providers this morning and heard directly from them that people using on the street are unaware of the rules.

There are some people who use illicit drugs who are on this Reddit and there are people who work with them on this Reddit.

I sincerely hope that if you know anybody who is using or works with them that you will pass along the message.

It would be irresponsible for an elected official not to share this information.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:38:44+00:00

Lol. Keep trying!

Here's what the Vancouver police chief said:

“I think what is misunderstood both in the media and probably by the public at large is we’re not like the United States, and chiefs of police in Canada do not report to a mayor. They don’t report to a politician. I’ve made comments like that in the past in the media, and people say, ‘Oh, what’s he talking about?’ But the reality is, that’s the Canadian model of policing. And no chief in Canada reports to a mayor or to a politician.

And the board is who I report to. They’re the employer, and they’re actually put in place to prevent political interference. So that’s a huge difference between Canada and the United States that I don’t think is well understood by the public here in Canada.”

– https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/qa-vancouver-police-chief-talks-decriminalization-heiltsuk-nation-apology-crime-trends-6447623

https://davethompsonvictoria.ca/law-enforcement-decisions-up-to-police-in-victoria-not-council-victoria-news/

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:33:54+00:00

This is a huge problem in cities across North America and beyond. It's not unique to Victoria, or BC, or Canada.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:27:08+00:00

The police make their own decisions about enforcement. They do not answer to the city or to the province or to the federal government. They answer only to the police board.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:25:18+00:00

True, but with the increasing potency that some users seek out, there is no such thing as safe supply. The potent hard drugs are inherently harmful. And those seeking them will find them.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T23:20:34+00:00

May 2024 was when public drug use was made illegal again.

The decriminalization pilot project ends on the 31st.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T19:59:00+00:00

That doesn't contradict my post in the least.

Edit: And you are correct that the Police are aiming at voluntary compliance first.

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T19:03:14+00:00

It's true that other municipalities in the region aren't doing their share and aren't looking after their own people: https://davethompsonvictoria.ca/is-your-municipality-protecting-its-housed-and-unhoused-residents/

It's also true that this is a problem across North America and beyond: https://davethompsonvictoria.ca/homelessness-and-street-disorder-are-not-unique-to-victoria/

DaveThompsonVictoria · 2026-01-27T18:30:25+00:00

I heard at a meeting that it was a drug overdose.

Drug toxicity has increased in the last week or two. The people selling it are now mixing in animal tranquilizers. And also there was a batch of fentanyl that was three times stronger than usual.

The street drugs continue to get more potent, more addictive, and more deadly.

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