Drug diversion spurs security overhaul in Ottawa crime 'hot spot'
It has taken community-wide efforts for this Ottawa neighbourhood to address the knock-on effects of Ottawa's safe supply program and drug diversion
By Alexandra Keeler
Until recently, Dan Sauvé had been grappling with a sharp rise in drug-related activity around the music store he manages in Ottawa’s Rideau-Vanier neighbourhood.
From the summer of last year until this spring, he observed theft and drug diversion — where prescribed opioids are traded for more potent street drugs — on an almost daily basis.
Individuals would leave Respect Rx pharmacy, which sits next door to Steve’s Music Store on Rideau Street, and exchange their prescribed drugs for street drugs, he says.
“We’d have to pick up their prescription bottles on our front step.”
More recently, though, Sauvé has noticed a shift. After his neighbourhood received national media coverage in February, the community started taking coordinated steps to address the effects of safe supply and drug diversion.
Thinking outside the box
Ottawa first introduced its safe supply program in 2020. Led by the not-for-profit Pathways to Recovery, the program’s aim is to reduce the risks associated with unregulated street drugs.
One of their offerings is Recovery Care, a private harm-reduction clinic that provides prescriptions for legal, regulated drugs such as methadone and Suboxone to individuals with substance use disorders. Recovery Care clinics are located close to Respect Rx pharmacies, enabling individuals to easily fill prescriptions.
The Ottawa Police Service’s crime map shows a marked increase in crime in the Rideau-Vanier area from 2021 to 2023. Arson was up 433 per cent, break and enter 57 per cent, robbery 9.3 per cent and assault 6.2 per cent.
In July, the police service’s board responded by identifying eight “hot spots” for increased patrols, including the area around Steve’s Music Store.
“Steve’s Music is certainly one of the businesses we’re in frequent contact with,” said Sergeant Paul Stam, who confirmed that police frequently encounter diverted drugs in the Rideau-Vanier area.
Stam is strategy lead for the Community Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) team with the Ottawa Police Service. The team is focused on reducing crime in the ByWard Market and Rideau Street area by increasing their presence and tackling the root causes of crime through a community-oriented approach.
“Property crime is by far the biggest issue,” Stam said.
Theft has been a major concern for Sauvé and his staff. Locals have made brazen attempts to steal guitars; some have even demanded cash for the return of stolen goods. The store now keeps its front door locked and has to buzz customers in and out.
“I can’t say it’s an AB direct correlation,” Sauvé said, referring to the rise in theft and drug trafficking after Respect Rx started dispensing medications for opioid use disorder. “But I can’t deny that none of these things were happening prior to the pharmacy being next door.”
“People are looking for someone to blame,” said Mark Barnes, who is the owner of Respect Rx and a pharmacist.
Currently, the CORE team’s focus is on addressing urgent public safety issues — by, for example, targeting high-impact offenders who are known to account for a significant portion of drug-related crime.
Once the area is no longer considered a “red zone” — a label used by the Ontario Provincial Police — the team will shift to focusing on community mobilization, Stam says. During this “green zone” phase, the team’s aim will be to empower residents to implement community-led solutions.
“Long-term, crime prevention has to come from community programs,” he said.
Maintaining a constant police presence is not feasible, he says. “And no one wants to live in that society.”
Removing silos
One example of a community program that is showing early signs of success is Ottawa’s Neighbourhood Operations Centre, also located on Rideau Street. The centre brings together first-responders, bylaw officers, community outreach workers and public health officials each week to share insights and coordinate their efforts to address community concerns.
“It’s about removing those barriers and those silos, and now you have one coordinated team,” said Stam, who is an active member of the centre.
Barnes, the owner of Respect Rx, says that in response to community feedback, his pharmacy increased security on the sidewalk, installed cameras and collaborated with police and other stakeholders to identify, suspend and remove individuals in the safe supply program who were considered “problematic.”
The pharmacy has also reduced the number of patients it serves under the program and chosen to not add new patients. Pharmacists have the authority to refuse service if they consider it unlawful or unsafe, Barnes says.
“Some can see we are trying to help,” he said. “Others still want us removed completely.”
Barnes believes there is a need for law enforcement to have a positive relationship with harm-reduction initiatives. When police take a punitive approach, it deters vulnerable individuals from using essential services, he says.
“We need to help people and meet them where they are mentally,” he said. “We need to start thinking outside the box.”
Stam agrees.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing if the cop was not just a law enforcement professional, but a medical professional?” he said.
‘Night and day’
Since July, Sauvé has observed a significant decrease in drug diversion near his store.
“It’s really been night and day,” he said.
Sauvé says that although community consultation can be challenging, it is crucial for community members to understand what to expect and what resources are available.
“I had to figure all of this out as I went along,” he said. “And I think everybody in the neighbourhood got a little bit overwhelmed.”
Sauvé would like to see proactive steps taken to mitigate the community impacts of drug diversion, as well as efforts to keep the community updated.
But Sauvé emphasized that another factor — which has little to do with community engagement — may also help explain why he has noticed recent improvements around his store.
Recently, a bus stop was installed in front of his store. Substance users appear to be less likely to engage in illicit activities near bus passengers, Sauvé says.
“Now my front step is suddenly a bus shelter, but I’ll take that over crack pipes,” he said.
“I don’t know whether or not this is a Band Aid solution, or just moving the problem to another part of the downtown core,” said Sauvé.
“But I can’t pinpoint where it might have gone.”
This article was produced through the Breaking Needles Fellowship Program, which provided a grant to Canadian Affairs, a digital media outlet, to fund journalism exploring addiction and crime in Canada. Articles produced through the Fellowship are co-published by Break The Needle and Canadian Affairs.