CHCH News examines typical day for new Hamilton police Core Patrol initiative

In a special report, CHCH News looks at a new police initiative in Hamilton’s downtown aiming to stop illegal open drug use and connect people with addiction services.

Hamilton police say they updated their approach, is aligned with federal legislation, and it prioritizes health-focused intervention over criminal enforcement.

CHCH News reporter Simone Gavros followed members of the Core Patrol Team during a pre-arranged walk-along this week.

A typical day for officers in Hamilton Police’s Core Patrol Team

Officers Marco Aref and Nicole Barton with the Core Patrol Team start their day at 7 a.m., keeping an eye out for illegal open drug use in downtown Hamilton.

“We’re like a unit that’s a branch of patrol, but addresses things that patrol doesn’t really have time for, we’re there to address it and investigate and take it from there,” said Aref.

There are three teams of two that rotate through 10-hour days during the week, focusing on locations where people tend to congregate in the perimeter of Wellington, Hunter, Bay and Cannon Streets at the request of businesses.

“When we started in January, there was a lot of open drug use,” said Aref. “There was an alarming amount of open drug use, and it wasn’t even in hotspots – it was just everywhere.”

The first stop of the day was in a parking lot behind The Salvation Army. There Aref says he spots drug use almost immediately.

Officers had addressed the group and asked for ID because they were also trespassing.

Wearing gloves, police put the pipe in an evidence bag and arrested a woman for possession. Her information was recorded, but she wasn’t charged.

“What would lead to a charge is if there are aggravating factors for possession, such as if this is near a daycare – this is the fourth time we’ve arrested them for this,” said Aref.

Officers say a lot of the work on the ground is hinged on building relationships with people.

But when it’s believed that open drug use is happening, police take action.

CHCH News did not see any large quantities of illegal drugs – only paraphernalia, but police say city-side they’ve seized a substantial amount of drugs between January and May.

This includes over $44,000 worth of fentanyl and $16,000 worth of cocaine and crack cocaine.

“I would say it’s more the drugs that we’re finding,” said Barton. “Sometimes they’ll have little pocket knives. I don’t think it’s as common though – most of the time, it’s usually just drugs.”

When asked if they’ve found guns, they said “no, not that we have found.”

CHCH News witnessed four arrests during the nearly three hour walk along. Of the four, only two accepted a referral to the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton.

“There is a want and a desire to receive treatment and it’s really important that we take that health care rather than the criminal approach to care for addiction treatments,” said Brooke Cowell with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

Cowell said they’ve had over 70 referrals come to the clinic since January, with men making up about 60 per cent of that.

“There’s an intake that occurs and they’ll match and tailor to the patient based on their specific clinical needs, and presentation to be able to meet them where they’re at,” said Cowell.

Hamilton police say that they’ve seen early success so far, but more work still needs to be done.

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