Sneaky cops sabotaged my mobile drugs van
Officers ‘put brakes on campaigner’ Activist acting illegally to provide safe space for addicts claims police alerted insurance company and his policy was cancelled.. but he vows to continue
POLICE have been accused of sabotaging a mobile drugs facility by pressuring insurers to cancel its policy just days after it was launched.
Activist Peter Krykant has been seeking to help drug users in Glasgow by giving them a clean and dry place to safely inject heroin and cocaine – a move which is
against UK law. But instead of arresting Krykant, he bel i e ves Pol i ce Scotland tried to disrupt his service by contactingontacting his insurers.
The move came as the force said it was “not aware of any offences” having taken place.
Former drug addict Krykant, from Falkirk, was called by his insurance broker and told the policy would be cancelled today.
Despite the blow, he has vowed not to give up.
He said: “As far as I’m concerned, Police Scotland are sabotaging this project before it has a chance to help people who are urgently needing it.
The re were 1187 annual overdose deaths at the last count and I am trying to supply something that could make a small dent in that number.
“But instead of allowing that to happen, the police are trying to force me off the road.
“They claim that a Safer Drugs Consumption facility can open users to more risks but that doesn’t seem to make sense to me.
“Any sane person would see advantages in drug users comcoming out of aalleyways and dark street corncorners, to comcome into more sanitary condconditions and talk to people who can help them. “Police Scotland have said a lot of good stuff about treating drugs as a health issue rather than a crime one but that doesn’t fit with their actions today.” Krykant said he will try to get insurance with another broker but is prepared to consider temporary accommodation – such as a rent or marquee – to provide the same services in coming weeks. He said: “This won’t stop me. The most important thing here is highlighting how perverse the current law is and how we need to move with the times in establishing services that can help people get out of the cycle that sees them consuming drugs on squalid city streets.”
Former MP Paul Sweeney, a supporter of the illegal service and an early volunteer on the van, said: “It’s a rather unpleasant and unsettling revelation if police are going after the insurance in this way.
“Surely it would have been better for police to observe what is happening with the van and weigh up if it would be in the public interest or not to take any action.
“If this van became a contributory factor in antisocial behaviour and brought no good I could understand any action that shuts it down.
“But if all it does is take needles and other drug debris off the street, while preventing overdoses and treating drug users with dignity, this would seem to be perverse action by Police Scotland.”
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie, head of Police Scotland’s drug strategy, refused to say if efforts had been made to block Krykant’s insurance.
The force said later : “The decision whether to provide cover for a motor vehicle or not is a matter entirely for the insurance company. At this stage, Police Scotland is not aware of any offences having been committed.”