Departing Prince George RCMP Chief Reflects on Challenges of Navigating Decriminalization

After serving five years as the RCMP superintendent in Prince George, B.C., Shaun Wright is moving on to new challenges.

As he prepares for the next chapter, Wright candidly discusses the difficulties he faced in policing.

“The most challenging issue I had to navigate was decriminalization, which lasted just over a year. In my personal opinion, it was one of the biggest public policy disasters to hit this city,” Wright said.

Jess Ketchum, a Save Our Streets advocate, acknowledges that while Prince George has been significantly impacted, many other municipalities have also felt the strain.

In April, the B.C. government took a decisive step by banning drug use in all public spaces, including parks and hospitals, as part of a major overhaul of its drug decriminalization pilot project.

The decision was made amidst a heated debate over the province’s strategy to address the ongoing deadly toxic drug crisis, which includes decriminalization and the concept of “safe supply.” The changes now empower police to take action against anyone using illicit drugs in public places, ranging from transit stations to restaurants and beaches.