Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers. (WPS / HANDOUT)
Winnipeg police will restart enforcement and engagement efforts beginning Friday aimed at curbing open drug use and trafficking in areas with ongoing concerns.
Police said the initiative will include an outreach-first approach, with outreach workers attending alongside officers or providing follow-up support to connect individuals with services. A dedicated community co-ordinator from Ka Ni Kanichik has also been identified as the primary liaison between the WPS and community organizations.
The relaunch follows a 10-day version of the initiative that ran from June 24 to July 3, after hotspots within the project boundaries saw four consecutive weeks of increasing crime.
During that period, police logged 1,099 total events and 106 arrests, including 93 warrants or breaches, three counts of possession of a scheduled substance for the purpose of trafficking and five counts of possession of a scheduled substance. Seven people were transported to a protective care centre.
Compared to the same period in 2025, property crime incidents decreased 10.5 percent, violent crime incidents decreased 16.5 percent and emergency calls for service decreased six percent during the 10-day stretch, police said.
Winnipeg Police Board chair Colleen Mayer says the WPB supports the enforcement blitz.
“Open drug use and tra?icking, and the disorder and violence often associated with them, are having a real impact on people’s daily lives and the safety of our city,” said Mayer.
“People must be able to use public spaces, access transit, operate businesses, and move through their communities safely.”
Watch Thursday’s news conference:
