Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

The latest data indicates a concerning increase in drug-related incidents and overdose deaths in Lethbridge. Over the past years, there has been a significant rise in the use of opioids and methamphetamines. The trend mirrors the provincial and national crisis but is exacerbated locally by socio-economic factors unique to Lethbridge. Sergeant Darroch will provide an updated overview of the ongoing drug crisis in Lethbridge. He will explore current trends, the community impact, response efforts, and propose directions for future intervention. Speaker: Sergeant Ryan Darroch Sgt. Ryan Darroch is with the Lethbridge Police Service Downtown Policing Unit. He is in 21st year of policing with Lethbridge Police Service with the bulk of his career being in a front line role. He has spent his first 5 years on the street in patrol division, then the Special Operations Unit which morphed into ALERT, patrol again, Intel Section and then into the Downtown Policing Unit in 2017 during the height of the drug crisis. In 2022,