Police chief backs safe-injection sites for Edmonton

Edmontonpolice Chief Rod Knechtsays he's in favour of a plan to open four safe-injection sites in the city.

"We, Edmonton, have an opportunity to get it right,"Knechtsaid after visiting a safe-injection sitein Vancouver.

"I think we can build a safe-injection site that serves everybody's needs in the broader community."

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An advisory committee for medically-supervised injection sites presented a report to city council on Monday, asking councillors for support.

Coun. Dave Lokensaid it is something the city should have done long ago.

Couns. Scott McKeenand Bev Esslingeragreed.

At the same meeting, the city'scommunity and public services committee unanimously supported fourinjection sites in Edmonton one at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and three others in existing community organizations.

'A way to get it right'

Earlier this weekKnechttoured Vancouver's Insiteclinic with other representatives of theAlberta Association of Chiefs ofPolice. The clinic is the first safe-injection site of its kind in Canada.

Knecht said he's thinking ofwaysto make a similar injection site safe for Edmonton.

"We don't want a safe injection site that facilitates misery," he said. "We want a safe-injection site that gets these people to a safer place, that gets them off drugs."

Keeping the communities around safe-injection sites safe is just as important, Knechtadded.

"We don't want the community to run down where we've got the graffiti and the rodents and the used needles in the streets.

"If we get the right people together, all having the proper discussion, I think we can get to a good place that meets everybody's needs."

The next step towards safe injection sites in Edmonton ispublic consultation scheduled fortwo weeks in early 2017.