Victoria police are recommending charges against a man who stabbed an officer with a needle as police tried to revive an overdose victim.

The Victoria Police Department said officers patrolled the 900-block of Pandora Avenue around 8:30 pm last weekend when they received a report of an overdose victim nearby.

According to a department news release, officers found the victim on Mason Street near Quadra Street, without a pulse or breathing.

The officers immediately administered nasal naloxone and CPR to the overdose victim when they alleged a crowd gathered and tried to intervene in their care.

“Additional officers attended and began to move the crowd back. One officer was stabbed under the arm with a needle by a man in the crowd,” said police.

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The officers on the scene disarmed the man. They took him into custody, where he remains in a prison cell awaiting his court appearance on obstruction charges and assaulting a police officer with a weapon.

The officer injured in the ordeal received medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries and was released soon after.

The individual who overdosed regained consciousness but declined further medical attention from paramedics who arrived at the scene, according to police.

The Victoria Police Board recently turned down a 2023 budget reduction requested by Victoria City Council to tie spending hikes to inflation.

In February, Victoria passed a motion to demand “a new 2023 draft budget that caps the property tax increase at inflation (6.96%) and that the Police Board develop a new draft budget at the same rate.” 

The Victoria Police Board has turned down a 2023 budget reduction requested by the City Council, who asked the force to tie spending hikes to inflation.

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But they did not follow the city’s lead after requesting $6 million more than last year — a 9.55% increase. If tied to the cost of inflation, the net budget would only increase by $4.345 million. The 2023 police budget is approximately $70 million. 

The Police Board’s Finance Committee chair Doug Crowder wrote on February 23 that such a budget reduction would threaten its ability to deliver policing services to the community adequately. 

“Although the board acknowledges the difficult choices council has to make during this inflationary period, the board still believes that its budget meets the legislative requirements under the Police Act to provide adequate and effective policing to the city and Township,” wrote Crowder. 

While the Board said it would not amend the budget, City Council can reject their assertions under the Police Act. 

As of January 31, 2023, British Columbia will become the first jurisdiction in North America to decriminalize possession of hard drugs for personal use. What do the locals think?

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Victoria Police Board co-chair Barb Desjardins maintains they provided the council with its best possible budget.

“The board does its deliberations to come forward with a budget that they feel meets the requirements for safe and proper policing for the two communities,” said Desjardins.

Should Victoria barrel ahead with a budget cut, Crowder warned of unforeseen consequences.