B.C. ends decriminalization and police chief says arrests unlikely to spike

Victoria police chief Fiona Wilson supports ending British Columbia's decriminalization exemption but says she does not expect a spike in arrests because the exemption was largely wound back about 20 months ago.

British Columbia will end its temporary decriminalization exemption this month, the province announced. Victoria police chief Fiona Wilson supports ending the program but says she does not expect a spike in arrests. She says the exemption was largely wound back about 20 months ago. Wilson had earlier been a public advocate for decriminalization in 2023 when she was vice-president of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police. Key facts: - B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne announced the pilot exemption will not be extended. - In 2024 the provincial government secured an amendment to the federal exemption limiting protected possession to private homes, legally sanctioned shelters, and designated health-care clinics. - Wilson says those 2024 changes "gave police back those powers" and that the return to broader policing authority means arrests are not expected to rise. - She noted police generally do not enter private residences to arrest people for simple possession, and many health facilities already have Section 56 exemptions. - Wilson shifted her public position in 2024 and testified to a federal parliamentary committee about difficulties policing problematic public consumption, citing examples such as use in public spaces. Summary: Officials say ending the province's exemption is unlikely to change arrest levels because key limits on the exemption were introduced in 2024. The police chief's change in stance reflects concerns about public consumption and the amended rules that narrowed where protected possession applied. Undetermined at this time.