Belleville Mayor Declares ‘Crisis’ Following 17 Overdoses in 24 Hours
The mayor of Belleville, a small city in southeastern Ontario, says his community is facing a “crisis” after emergency services responded to 17 drug overdoses in a 24-hour period.
Paramedics and police responded to 14 overdoses in the city’s downtown core between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Feb. 6 and received three additional calls later that day.
“It’s not the first occurrence and it won’t be the last. Like many municipalities across the province and country, we have a very serious drug, addictions and mental health crisis in our city,” Mayor Neil Ellis said in an emailed news release. “We need support from the provincial government on how we move forward with this crisis.”
On Feb. 6, Belleville Police Service issued an advisory to members of the public, asking them to “exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel” in the city’s downtown while emergency services were dispatched to the area.
“Emergency officials are currently responding to 13 overdose incidents during the past hour, prompting the need for increased vigilance and awareness in the affected areas,” the statement read. Police received additional calls after issuing the statement, bringing the total number to 17.
During the height of the calls, emergency vehicles filled the city’s downtown near Bridge Street United Church. The church offers a daily meal program and drop-in services for the city’s homeless.
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Traffic was redirected to keep access routes open “to allow emergency services to respond to these calls,” the city press release said, adding that the streets are now clear and there was never “a threat to the public.
The volume of calls caused “enormous pressure” on emergency services, Belleville Police Chief Mike Callaghan said.
“While we are fortunate that there were no casualties during this incident, we know this is an issue that will only continue to grow in our community and nation-wide,” he said in the release.
Chief Callaghan said the Belleville Police Service is partnering with other emergency services, public health and local hospitals to develop “operational scenarios” to address similar events in the future.
Mr. Ellis called the rise in overdoses a problem not just for Belleville, but for the entire country.
“We need support from the provincial government on how we move forward with this crisis,” he said. “It is a crisis that is not specific to Belleville, it is a provincial and federal issue… As a municipality, we are ready to help and do whatever we can to be part of the solution, but we need some guidance.”
This week’s incidents come on the heels of a surge in overdoses in the city late last year. The Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health Unit (HPEPH) said there had been a spike in “opioid-related poisonings” in Belleville on Nov. 1.
Chief Callaghan told reporters just days later that emergency services had responded to more than 90 overdose calls in the first week of the month; an “astronomical” rise above the usual six or seven calls.
