Fredericton Police Unit Deployed 29 Times Amid Public Safety Focus
Fredericton residents may encounter an increased police presence as a specialized unit has been deployed 29 times to address public drug use and petty crime. The Direct Action Response Team (DART), established by the Fredericton Police Force last year, has been active in the city’s business districts, responding to public complaints.
Insp. David Cooper, who oversees the force’s operations and patrols, indicated that the team has shown positive results. However, he emphasized that policing is only one component of a larger societal issue. “We now know, and everybody knows, that this isn’t solely a police problem to fix, but we will certainly do our part,” Cooper stated.
Expert Views on Public Safety Strategies
The issue of public safety has become a prominent topic in many New Brunswick communities. Criminology professor Michael Boudreau from St. Thomas University noted that public safety was a frequent subject during recent municipal election campaigns. “My concern is that we’re not really defining what we mean [by public safety], and so, as a result, how are we going to tackle this perceived problem?” Boudreau questioned.
Boudreau expressed concern over the public safety discourse during the election, particularly in light of police statistics showing an overall crime decline of 17 percent from 2023 to 2024, with property crime dropping by 30 percent during that period. More current statistics are not yet available. New Brunswick’s crime severity index also saw a decrease, falling from 87.78 in 2023 to 84.53 in 2024, according to national data.
“No one can deny that there’s a homelessness problem, that there may be more open drug use in the city, there may be more petty crime,” Boudreau acknowledged. “But if public safety means more police and policing, that’s not going to solve the problem. And that’s not because the police are not good at their job. It’s just that they’re not trained to solve homelessness or addiction or mental illness.”
While recognizing the validity of residents’ concerns about feeling unsafe, Boudreau pointed out that statistics do not always capture the full human experience. He stated that while increasing police patrols, adding surveillance cameras, or forming task forces can help alleviate public apprehension, these measures do not address the underlying causes of these issues.
Boudreau further explained that municipalities often lack the capacity to tackle root causes through social programs or affordable housing initiatives, as these responsibilities typically fall under provincial jurisdiction. Consequently, municipal authorities often default to enhanced policing efforts.
DART Initiative Targets Criminal Offenses
The Direct Action Response Team initiative specifically targets business improvement areas within Fredericton, encompassing both the downtown south side and the north side business district. Insp. Cooper reiterated the team’s primary objective is to address criminal offenses. “We’ve said it before, it’s not a criminal offence to be unhoused, it’s not a criminal offence to live with mental health issues, or to live with addiction,” Cooper clarified. “That’s not illegal. But if you’re going to be using drugs in public and committing crimes, that is illegal.”
Boudreau raised concerns about the potential for unintentional criminalization of individuals facing homelessness, mental health challenges, or addiction. “I think what has happened is that we have criminalized homeless people, we have criminalized mental health issues, and these are not criminal matters, necessarily,” he stated. “Sure, illicit drug use is, but you cannot fight addiction with the Criminal Code. Our first national drug law was in 1908 so … if that was the start of our so-called war on drugs in Canada, we’re still losing, because it’s an addiction, not a criminal justice issue.”
