Peterborough Chief of Police Stuart Betts announced on Thursday that they are adopting a “no tolerance” stance on drug use in public spaces.

This change in policy comes with increased policing of drug use, and some additional resources for people experiencing addiction, in an effort to increase feelings of public safety in Peterborough.

The announcement sparked conversations in Peterborough about how effective this no-tolerance stance will be, with some feeling concerned about the safety of the people affected most by this change: the people who are using drugs.

Trent Radio spoke with one of these concerned community members: Star Fiorotto, the Harm Reduction Peer Support Coordinator for PARN, a local harm reduction agency. Fiorotto is heavily involved with PARN’s program called the "KT6 Crew," a “peer-led harm reduction support project,” made up of people with lived experience, according to the KT6 Instagram profile.

Fiorotto spends a lot of time supporting people who use illicit drugs, and met with Trent Radio to discuss her reaction to the Peterborough Police Service’s change in approach to drug use. One of Fiorotto’s biggest concerns with this announcement is that it is more about “optics” than safety.

“How the public, homeowners or business owners, feel that they are more heard, rather than the people who are using drugs,” says Fiorotto.

Fiorotto identified a negative effect of this approach is that drug users will go into “hiding” instead of accessing the supports that they need, and that this will make it harder for harm reduction organizations to provide help.

“People will die.”

“What we need are more supports. Not more policing,” says Fiorotto.

Listen to Trent Radio’s interview with Fiorotto about what this “no tolerance” approach to drug use will mean for the Peterborough community: