Police welcome move to drop SIU probes

Officers can issue naloxone without triggering a probe

Police can now administer naloxone to overdose victims without facing automatic investigation.

Naloxone is an antidote for opioid overdoses. It temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose of drugs such as fentanyl, oxycodone and heroine, to seek medical attention.

On Wednesday, the provincial government announced an amendment to the Police Services Act regarding naloxone and other emergency first aid.

Officers will no longer automatically be investigated by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) if they administer naloxone to someone and they die. It’s not harmful to someone if they’re not on opioids.

That rule only stands, however, if there was no other interaction that could’ve caused death or serious injury.

Under the amendment, police officers will now be on par with other first responders, such as a paramedics or firefighters, who can administer the life-saving antidote but aren’t subjected to the same level of oversight.

SIU is an arms-length agency that investigates incidents involving police in which someone is killed, seriously injured or accused of sexual assault.

Tim Farquharson, deputy chief of city police, said the change is a smart move.

“This is much closer to what we would expect in these types of situations,” Farquharson stated in an email.

Officers use naloxone as they would any other life-saving measure, such as the defibrillator, CPR or Heimlich manoeuvre, Farquharson wrote.

“Unless there are extenuating circumstances in a situation that would bring an officer’s conduct into question, then his should not be an SIU matter,” Farquharson stated.

City police were the first police force in Ontario to have frontline officers carry naloxone.

Meanwhile, Peterborough Regional Health Centre was among the first hospitals in the province to offer take-home naloxone kits to those who are at significant risk of overdoes.

The city has the fourth highest opioid death rate in Ontario.