RCMP in Kelowna, B.C. have seized a significant amount of drugs and arrested multiple people following an operation conducted by its Community Safety Unit.
“They established surveillance and they directly witnessed these drug transactions,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Mike Gauthier.
The operation targeted the open-air drug market and netted what police call a “significant” amount of drugs, potentially totalling thousands of lethal doses.
Police also seized some $27,000 in cash.
The goal of the operation was to disrupt the sale of toxic drugs and create a safer downtown core, police said.
“We receive complaints from businesses, residents and those who live downtown, and that’s our response,” Gauthier said.
According to Gauthier, those arrested were targeting some of the city’s most vulnerable residents living on the streets battling drug addictions and suffering from mental health issues.
“It targets those who are preying on the marginalized and street-entrenched individuals,” Gauthier said.
The president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce said she’s pleased to see that kind of RCMP action.
“It’s a great start,” said Maryse Harvey.
Harvey added that drug-related crime continues to take a toll on businesses with break-ins, vandalism and public mischief prompting some business owners to move or call it quits.
“The impact is significant. It is a priority for the Chamber. It’s one of the topics we spent most time looking at and addressing,” Harvey told Global News.
She added that the solution has to be multi-faceted with various organizations leading the charge including the Chamber, the City of Kelowna, and the Downtown Kelowna Association.
“You know, the sky’s the limit really in this region, growing fast. Everything looks so promising, but the crime is clearly a bit of a break to it and we want to do what we can to address it,” Harvey said.
Gauthier said more operations of this nature are in the works. Whether offenders stay behind bars is up to the court system.
“It’ll take time and sustained enforcement efforts, which we are committed to doing,” Gauthier said.