Setting Limits on Police-Directed Drug Trafficking

Many residents have told me about people they believe have dealt drugs for years, sometimes decades, with few visible repercussions. They describe activity downtown and in residential neighbourhoods. Most say police complaints received little visible follow-up.

Owen Sound Police arrested eight people for public drug consumption during a May 2026 downtown initiative. A September initiative produced eleven fentanyl- and methamphetamine-related arrests, with the police release leaving the breakdown between use and trafficking unspecified. Several of the largest recent trafficking investigations involving Owen Sound were led by the OPP or joint OPP–OSPS teams. These periodic operations provide limited answers about the persistent dealers residents describe.

The federal regulations allow a police-directed person to participate in street-drug trafficking for a particular investigation without an express certificate, expiry date or cumulative duration limit. This may help explain how the same apparent dealers could remain active through ongoing or connected investigations. To residents, that can resemble an open-ended drug-trafficking licence.

Locally, the Police Services Board’s LE-015 Paid Informants and Agents policy directs the Chief to maintain internal procedures. Public reporting, operational review periods, cumulative-duration tracking and controlled-substance safeguards remain unaddressed.

I am beginning the federal reform effort by testing public support. I will circulate the petition draft and invite Canadian citizens and residents to consider becoming one of the five initial supporters required before an e-petition can be published. The House uses supporters’ details for verification and keeps their personal information off the public petition page. Once five people step forward, I will ask Alex Ruff, MP for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, to authorize publication. After publication, the petition can collect verified signatures for up to 120 days.

Can sign up here: https://helpos.ca/mayor/federal-petition

The petition will seek written authorizations, cumulative time limits, independent approval for exceptional extensions and national aggregate reporting. Federal reform will apply these safeguards across municipal police services and the OPP.

If elected Mayor, I will pursue a three-stage local escalation plan:

  1. Local reform: Replace LE-015, conduct a 90-day compliance review and require documented legal authority, recurring reviews, public-safety safeguards and quarterly aggregate reporting.
  2. Provincial oversight: Refer continuing compliance or disclosure failures to Ontario’s Inspector General of Policing.
  3. Policing review: Move Council to request a formal OPP costing and transition assessment if OSPS fails to meet the accountability standard. Following the costing, service comparison and public consultation, I will support an OPP transition where it offers stronger accountability, effective enforcement and sustainable costs.

This article explains the distinctions between prescribed health services, confidential informants and directed agents, the authority provided by current law, the safeguards Owen Sound can establish locally and the actions residents can take now.

1. What services are actually available locally?

Health Canada defines safer supply as prescribed medication provided under the supervision of a health-care practitioner as an alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply. Health Canada also distinguishes safer supply from opioid agonist treatment, which uses medications such as methadone, buprenorphine and slow-release oral morphine to reduce withdrawal and cravings.

The Owen Sound Addiction & Recovery Treatment Clinic publicly lists methadone, Suboxone, Sublocade and Kadian treatment, along with pharmacy services, sterile supplies, naloxone and referrals. Grey Bruce Public Health provides sterile needles, safer inhalation equipment, naloxone, testing, education and referrals through identified community locations.

The available local information describes clinical treatment and harm-reduction services delivered through clinics, pharmacies and community-service locations.

A prescription authorizes possession and use according to the patient’s treatment plan. Selling, giving, transferring, transporting, sending or delivering the medication requires separate legal authority. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act includes all those activities within its definition of trafficking.

Diversion or resale of methadone, Kadian or another prescribed controlled substance therefore falls within CDSA section 5 unless a separate statutory authorization applies. Reports of diversion should receive evidence-based investigation in the same manner as other suspected trafficking.

As Mayor, I will ask local health providers and Grey Bruce Public Health to help produce a plain-language public directory distinguishing opioid treatment, safer-supply prescribing, harm-reduction supplies and police-directed activity. That directory will give residents a clear picture of what each service provides and where it operates.

2. What is a confidential informant?

A confidential informant provides information to police about criminal activity. Informer privilege protects the person’s identity and information that could reveal it, supporting personal safety and continued cooperation with police.

Informer status provides confidentiality rather than authority to sell, transfer, deliver or possess controlled substances for trafficking.

A person who provides information functions as an informant. A person directed into the field to possess, offer, sell, transfer or deliver controlled substances performs a directed-agent function requiring separate statutory authority.

One person may perform both functions at different times. Any drug-related activity belongs to the directed-agent framework, with its own statutory conditions, purpose, direction-and-control requirements and duration.

My proposed replacement for LE-015 will state this distinction explicitly. Questions about police-directed drug transactions require the relevant authority, safeguards and review process in addition to any reference to confidential-informant status.

3. What is a directed agent?

A directed agent is a person acting under the direction and control of an active police member to assist with a particular investigation. The role may involve communicating with criminal actors, entering an illicit market, possessing controlled substances, offering them, selling them, transferring them, transporting them or delivering them.

The legal framework

Criminal Code section 25.1(8)–(10) provides a general law-enforcement justification for conduct directed by a properly designated public officer when the statutory conditions are met. Section 25.1(14) places controlled-substance offences under the specific framework of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its regulations.

The relevant regulation is the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Police Enforcement) Regulations, SOR/97-234.

Under sections 3–4, an active police member and a directed person may receive an exemption from CDSA sections 5–7.1 for conduct involving street drugs when:

  • the police member acts in the course of their responsibilities;
  • the conduct serves a particular investigation;
  • the directed person acts under the member’s direction and control; and
  • the directed person assists with that investigation.

Because CDSA section 2 defines trafficking to include selling, giving, transferring, transporting, sending, delivering and offering to perform those acts, sections 3–4 can legally cover conduct that would ordinarily constitute drug trafficking.

Conduct outside those statutory conditions engages the ordinary CDSA offences. Statutory authority must come from the legislation and regulations rather than a police connection, title or verbal assurance.

Duration, renewals and repeat investigations

For trafficking involving forfeited, imported or police-produced drugs, SOR/97-234 sections 8–9 require a certificate. The certificate identifies the police member, the particular investigation and the duration. A trafficking certificate may last up to six months and ends upon revocation, the member leaving active service, completion of the investigation or expiry.

The street-drug pathway under sections 3–4 carries no express certificate requirement, expiry date, six-month ceiling or cumulative duration limit. The regulation defines a “particular investigation” to include a primary investigation and investigations arising from it.

This may help explain why residents report seeing the same people dealing drugs for years or even decades. A person could remain involved through an ongoing or connected series of investigations, with each operation receiving a fresh investigative description.

Legally, this is a conditional exemption. From a resident’s perspective, the absence of a fixed duration can resemble an open-ended permission to deal drugs.

That is the central issue I will address as Mayor.

4. My proposed replacement for LE-015

At my first opportunity as a Police Services Board member, I will introduce a motion directing the development of a replacement for LE-015 Paid Informants and Agents.

The revised policy will apply to every police-directed person participating in controlled-substance conduct and require the Chief’s procedures to include:

  • written identification of the statutory authority, investigative purpose, substances, permitted conduct and general location;
  • senior approval and a review date within 90 days for street-drug operations under SOR/97-234 sections 3–4;
  • documented renewals and cumulative-duration tracking across connected investigations;
  • heightened approval and public-safety safeguards for public-facing transactions in the downtown core; and
  • after-action review of diversion, violence, overdoses, complaints, injuries, arrests and investigative outcomes.

The federal regulation may omit a fixed limit for street-drug operations. Our local procedures can still require frequent senior review, cumulative-duration tracking and civilian accountability.

The policy itself will receive a formal Board review every two years.

5. A 90-day transition and compliance review

I will move that the Chief conduct a 90-day legal-compliance review covering every current operation involving police-directed controlled-substance activity.

The 90-day period applies to police administration and documentation. Current criminal law applies throughout.

At the end of the review, the Chief should certify to the Board that every active operation has:

  • a current statutory basis;
  • a genuine investigative purpose;
  • an identified supervising police member;
  • a written review or expiry date; and
  • documented public-safety safeguards.

The Board should receive the detailed legal-compliance report in closed session where confidentiality is legally required. Residents should receive an aggregate public report showing how many operations were reviewed, which statutory pathways were used, how many continued, how many concluded and the range of their cumulative durations.

6. Quarterly public accountability

My replacement policy will require a quarterly aggregate report covering:

  • the number of controlled-substance operations involving directed persons;
  • the authority used, including sections 3–4 or 8–9;
  • start dates, review dates, renewals and cumulative duration;
  • general location categories, including downtown;
  • substances, aggregate quantities, outcomes and significant incidents.

Names, identities, targets and tactical details can remain protected. Aggregate reporting can reveal whether these operations exist, how long they continue and whether they produce meaningful results.

I will publish each report, every related Board motion and each recorded vote through a public Policing Accountability page, giving residents one place to see how this system works.

Risk: disclosure must protect human life, informer identities and active investigations. Aggregate reporting and confidential legal review can provide that protection while preserving civilian oversight.

7. What powers would I have as Mayor?

The Owen Sound Police Services Board sets objectives, priorities and policies, directs the Chief at the governance level and monitors the Chief’s performance. Specific investigations, named individuals and operational decisions remain under the Chief’s authority.

As Mayor, I will:

  • personally serve in the Mayor’s position on the Board;
  • introduce the LE-015 replacement and 90-day compliance-review motions;
  • publish my motions, supporting materials and votes;
  • use the budget process to ensure the Board has proper auditing and reporting capacity; and
  • bring systemic compliance concerns to the Inspector General when local oversight fails to resolve them.

Council can also appoint a councillor and a civilian community member who support active, transparent police governance.

8. A co-operation test and the OPP option

Owen Sound Police should have a fair opportunity to meet a clear accountability standard. During the first 90 days, co-operation will mean:

  • completing the legal-compliance review;
  • supporting replacement of LE-015 with defined review periods and safeguards;
  • providing the Board with the legal-compliance information required for civilian oversight; and
  • beginning quarterly aggregate public reporting.

Failure to meet that standard will trigger my support for a formal OPP costing and transition assessment.

Owen Sound has already begun examining the process. Staff Report CM-26-030, presented September 14, 2026, confirms that Council has requested procedural guidance from the Ministry of the Solicitor General and referred the report and future correspondence to the Resilient Community Advisory Committee for discussion in 2027. A formal OPP costing would require further Council direction, and the Ministry advised that its response on the process may take several months.

If the co-operation standard remains unmet after the 90-day review, I will move that Council proceed with the formal costing request. The assessment should compare:

  • total net cost, staffing and response capacity;
  • drug-enforcement performance and access to specialized units;
  • local reporting, civilian governance and complaint handling;
  • effects on OSPS employees, facilities, equipment and existing agreements; and
  • transition timing, risks and public consultation requirements.

An OPP transition would change the service provider and governance structure. The same federal directed-agent exemption applies to the OPP, so federal reform remains essential. Following the costing, operational comparison and public consultation, I will support an OPP transition if OSPS continues to resist the accountability standard and the evidence shows that the OPP can provide effective, transparent and financially sustainable policing for Owen Sound.

9. Federal reform: closing the open-ended exemption

Local policy can establish stronger rules for Owen Sound. Lasting reform requires the federal government to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Police Enforcement) Regulations, because sections 3–4 currently provide the street-drug pathway without an express certificate, expiry date or cumulative duration limit.

I am seeking five Canadian citizens or residents willing to serve as the initial supporters for an official House of Commons e-petition asking Parliament and the Government of Canada to amend the legislation and regulations governing police-directed controlled-substance activity.

If you are willing to support this petition, please email me at andrii@zvorygin.ca. I will enter the required supporter information into the House e-petition system, which will send you an official confirmation request. The House uses supporter information for verification, and supporter names and contact details remain off the public petition page.

The petition will call for:

  • written, person-specific authorization identifying the investigation, substances, permitted conduct, geographic scope and expiry date;
  • a cumulative six-month limit across connected investigations, with an exceptional extension requiring independent judicial authorization;
  • restrictions on repeatedly deploying the same directed person in the same community after arrests, court proceedings or other events have exposed the person’s operational value; and
  • annual aggregate reporting on authorizations, renewals, cumulative duration, substances, quantities, incidents and outcomes.

Once five supporters confirm, I will ask Alex Ruff, Member of Parliament for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, to authorize publication. An e-petition may remain open for 30, 60, 90 or 120 days and requires at least 500 valid signatures for certification. Once presented to the House, the federal government must respond within 45 calendar days.

I will also invite other municipalities, police-service boards and community-safety organizations to endorse the reform.

10. How residents can act now

Contact and action directory

Purpose Where to act
Crime in progress or immediate danger Call 911
Report suspected trafficking to Owen Sound Police Call 519-376-1234, staffed 24 hours
Submit an anonymous drug tip Call Grey Bruce Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a secure tip
Contact the Police Services Board or request a deputation Email owensoundpsb@gmail.com
Ask Council to support the accountability standard and an OPP costing if it is unmet Email council@owensound.ca
Request police records under MFIPPA Use the OSPS Freedom of Information page
File a systemic policing or Board-policy complaint Use the Inspector General’s complaint portal or email IOPComplaints@ontario.ca
Complain about an individual officer’s conduct Use the LECA complaint form or call 1-877-411-4773
Ask the local MP to support the federal petition Email Alex.Ruff@parl.gc.ca or call 519-371-1059
Apply for the municipal Police Services Board vacancy Visit the City’s Committee Vacancies page

Owen Sound Police lists the non-emergency number, Crime Stoppers and anonymous reporting options on its website.

When reporting suspected trafficking, record the date, time, location, observable conduct and police occurrence number where available. Factual incident records help police, the Board, oversight agencies and access-to-information officers identify patterns.

Ask Council to establish the accountability threshold

Residents can email council@owensound.ca and ask Council to support the 90-day compliance review, quarterly reporting and a formal OPP costing if the co-operation standard remains unmet.

To place correspondence on a Council agenda, send it to City Clerk Briana Bloomfield at bbloomfield@owensound.ca. Include your name, contact information and a clear statement that the letter is intended for a Council agenda.

Support the federal petition

The official petition link will be added here once the Clerk of Petitions publishes it. Until then, residents can contact:

Alex Ruff, MP
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound Constituency Office
208-1101 2nd Avenue East
Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 2J1
Alex.Ruff@parl.gc.ca
519-371-1059

Ask the Member to authorize and present an e-petition establishing written authorizations, cumulative time limits, independent approval for exceptional extensions and aggregate reporting for police-directed drug trafficking.

Request a deputation to the Board

Email owensoundpsb@gmail.com with the subject:

Request for Deputation: Paid Informants and Agents Policy LE-015

Include your name, contact information, the meeting you wish to attend and a short description of what you want the Board to consider. Attach written supporting material where possible.

The request can ask the Board to:

  • replace LE-015;
  • conduct the 90-day compliance review;
  • establish quarterly aggregate reporting; and
  • publish cumulative-duration statistics.

Submit a freedom-of-information request

Owen Sound Police accepts MFIPPA requests in person or by mail. Complete the form available on the OSPS Freedom of Information page, include the $5 application fee and the identification requested by OSPS, and deliver it to:

Owen Sound Police Service
922 2nd Avenue West
Owen Sound, Ontario
N4K 4M7

A useful request would read:

All current and former policies, procedures, forms, reports, audits and aggregate statistics concerning informants, agents or other police-directed persons who participate in controlled-substance investigations. This includes records identifying the statutory authority relied upon, authorization periods, review dates, renewals, cumulative durations, general location categories, substances involved and outcomes. Please provide partial access wherever exempt information can be severed.

MFIPPA applies to existing records. The institution generally has 45 business days to respond to requests submitted after July 1, 2026, subject to statutory extensions or staged access.

An access decision can be appealed through the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s online appeal portal. Appeals generally must be filed within 30 business days of the decision.

IPC contact information:

  • 416-326-3333
  • 1-800-387-0073
  • info@ipc.on.ca
  • Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8

Contact the Inspector General of Policing

The Inspector General handles complaints concerning adequate and effective policing, police-service compliance, Police Services Board policies and procedures established by chiefs of police.

Submit online through the Inspector General complaint portal, or use:

  • Email: IOPComplaints@ontario.ca
  • Phone: 416-314-4130
  • Toll-free: 1-888-333-5078
  • Mail: Public Complaints, Inspectorate of Policing, 777 Bay Street, 7th Floor, Suite 701, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C8

A complaint should explain the systemic concern, the local policy involved, its effect on adequate and effective policing, the dates and locations involved, previous efforts to raise the concern and the outcome sought.

File an officer-conduct complaint

The Law Enforcement Complaints Agency handles complaints about the conduct of individual police officers.

  • Online complaint form
  • Phone: 1-877-411-4773 or 416-246-7071
  • General inquiries: leca@ontario.ca
  • Mail: Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, 655 Bay Street, 10th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M7A 2T4

Apply to sit on the Police Services Board

The City is advertising one Owen Sound Police Service Board vacancy for a term running from December 15, 2026, to November 14, 2030.

Applications will be accepted from October 19 to November 20, 2026 through the Committee Vacancies page.

Questions can be directed to:

Residents can also monitor Ontario Public Appointments for provincial Police Services Board positions.

A clear standard for Owen Sound

Health-care treatment should remain health care. Confidential informants should provide information. Directed-agent operations involving controlled substances should have identifiable legal authority, defined boundaries, frequent review, cumulative-duration tracking and meaningful civilian oversight.

If elected Mayor, I will use the Mayor’s position on the Police Services Board to introduce these policy changes, publish the motions and votes, support residents seeking records and escalate systemic failures to the Inspector General.

Continued local policing will rest on demonstrated co-operation with civilian oversight. Failure to meet that standard will move the OPP costing and transition option forward. At the federal level, the House of Commons petition will seek firm legal limits that apply across Canada.

Sensitive identities and active investigations can remain protected through confidential Board review and aggregate public reporting. Owen Sound residents can still receive clear answers about the authority, duration, safeguards and results of police-directed drug operations.

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