Joel Harden
On April 23rd, Carl Reinboth, a harm reduction worker at the Somerset West Community Health Centre, was tragically killed while walking to a local business.
His death appears to be random. Before his death, Carl did not know or interact with the man who killed him. In response to this tragedy, some have called for an increased police presence in Centretown West.
Given the nature of Carl’s death, we know he could not have been saved by an increased police presence. In fact, even as Centretown West had increased police presence right after his murder, the man who killed him stabbed another person just two blocks away.
Carl was an experienced hand in local harm reduction efforts. Having lived experience, he devoted his life to helping others grapple with trauma and addiction. As we grieve and struggle to make sense of his death, we should also be concerned about increased calls for policing in his name. As friends of Carl have told me, this is not what he would have wanted.
I’ve spoken to area residents and business owners concerned about a marked increase in property damage and troubling behaviours. I understand their concerns. But we must dig deeper and recognize that Canada’s opioid crisis has only worsened under COVID-19.
We are told to physically distance and stay at home. But addictions flourish in the context of social isolation. More are reaching out for substances such as alcohol, cannabis or illicit drugs to cope with the stress of the pandemic, lost social interaction, or to mitigate the pain they carry.
Policing illicit drug use and related behaviours is a failing strategy. It does not reduce drug use and it perpetuates the cycle of trauma that led to an addiction in the first place. Only through abandoning a criminal approach and addressing addictions as a public health issue can we begin to help drug users and our communities.
If we are to honour Carl’s legacy, let’s treat our neighbours, who use drugs, with solidarity and respect. Let’s think of how we can foster more support and connection in our communities. It begins by acknowledging, as Dr. Teresa Tam has said, that we “can’t arrest our way out of the opioid crisis.” Criminalizing drug users is a waste of resources, continues the descent into despair and perpetuates a cycle of dehumanization.
We can and must do better. What if we decriminalized possession of all drugs, as the government of British Columbia has proposed; ensured a safe supply of opioids which is progressing in Ottawa; and vastly increased mental health supports which is long overdue?
There is no police solution to the opioid crisis. There is only compassion and marshalling our compassion so everyone can be their fullest selves. It’s time for bold steps in that direction. Let this be Carl’s legacy.