Mammoliti says Moss Park’s been ‘hijacked’ by drug users, calls on police crackdown

By News Staff

Toronto city councillor Giorgio Mammoliti is calling on police Chief Mark Saunders to crack down on a pop-up safe injection site in Moss Park, saying the public green space has been “hijacked” by illegal drug users.

“Children and their families deserve safe communities. Parks are for children, not for dangerous discarded needles,” the outspoken councillor said in a release.

“I am calling on Chief Mark Saunders to immediately evict the rogue group and dismantle the pop-up site.”

The unsanctioned pop-up tent was erected in response to a disturbing increase in opioid overdoses, and it prompted the city to fast-track the opening of its own first official safe injection site near Yonge and Dundas streets.

Mammoliti also objects to the city’s official site.

“You’re going to see this area (Yonge and Dundas) become completely inundated with drug addicts in the streets, needles everywhere,” he said on Monday.

Toronto police have said they wouldn’t crack down on the pop-up site at Moss Park, with police Superintendent Heinz Kuck saying the overdose crisis “supersedes” calls for Toronto police to arrest drug users.

Chief Saunders responded with a firm “no” when asked if he would direct his officers to move in and dismantle the site.

“When it comes to the tent issue, if we get an injunction then we’ll act on it, but if not chances are we won’t be (cracking down),” he said earlier this week.

But Mammoliti is leaning on police to change their stance.

“We should not be letting drug dealers and users invade our parks and turn them into drug-fueled havens,” he said in Thursday’s release.

The Toronto Overdose Prevention Society rejects Mammoliti’s claims the site is dangerous or largely opposed by the public.

“There has been no serious community complaints to date of us being in the park,” it said in a Facebook post. “If anything, we have been warmly welcomed by people using the park, the arena, the neighbours and businesses but, most of all, by the people accessing the service.”

“Despite the legality of all of this we have an ethical obligation to act. We cannot stand by and watch people die…We will continue to stay in Moss Park.”

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