Police dog cut with knife during arrest in Surrey, authorities say
A police dog is recovering after being injured with a knife during the arrest of two theft suspects in Surrey Monday morning, authorities say.
The Surrey Police Service said a canine team with the Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Service was called to an alleged theft from a vehicle in the 16900 block of 86A Avenue just before 6:30 a.m.
Both suspects had fled the area before officers arrived, police said.
The dog, named Lotto, was allegedly cut when he and his handler tracked down and attempted to arrest one suspect in a nearby wooded area.
'Lotto was taken to a veterinary clinic for examination and treatment of his injuries and is recovering with his handler,' the SPS said Tuesday, in a statement.
The second suspect was arrested by officers nearby. Both suspects were released on undertakings while the investigation continues.
'Our Integrated Police Service Dogs play a vital role in keeping communities safe throughout the (Lower Mainland), often working in unpredictable and dangerous situations,' said Staff Sgt. Derek King, IPDS Unit Commander.
'The bond between our dogs and handlers is extraordinary, so when one is injured, it affects us all. The health and wellbeing of the dogs is a priority, and King said staff are pleased to share that Lotto is resting at home and is 'expected to make a full recovery.'
Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said the team is 'thankful' for Lotto's bravery and that his injuries aren't more serious than they could have been.
'We hope he recovers quickly and is back on the streets soon to help keep us all safe,' he said.
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The opposite is true in Canada and federal laws in the U.S. against cannabis are rarely enforced. The data show that the U.S. lags behind Europe when it comes to arresting and prosecuting most drug offenders. According to the UN, Europe arrests, prosecutes, and convicts people for drug-related offences at a much higher rate than that of the Americas. In 2023, for every 100 arrests for drug-trafficking related offences, 55 people were prosecuted, and 25 of those were convicted. Europe, by comparison, prosecuted 61 people per 100 arrests and convicted 34 of them. That same year, when it came to drug possession, the Americas were extremely lenient. Only 9 out of 100 arrested faced prosecution and only two were convicted. Data suggests that possession laws in Europe were better enforced, with 29 of the 39 people prosecuted for drug possession being convicted. 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Simply put, Ms. Burke said it's 'tough to compare across the board.' Another major difference between the EU and North America is widespread advertising of prescription medicine in the U.S. Europeans who visit the U.S., or who tune into American TV online, are often shocked by the proliferation of drug ads, which are not allowed in the U.K. or Europe. Only the U.S. and New Zealand permit prescription drugs to be marketed on TV and pharmaceutical companies are among the largest ad buyers in the U.S. Purdue Pharmaceutical spent as much as US$200-million annually marketing OxyContin, according to a 2009 study in the American Journal of Public Health, even as the opioid crisis in the U.S. deepened. The industry argues it is providing valuable information to consumers, but critics say the ads encourage drug use. Canada bans this type of advertising as well. But given the easy access Canadian viewers have to U.S. TV channels, drug ads are hard to miss. In 2023, treatment coverage for individuals with drug use disorders was highest in Europe. According to the latest data from the UN, 28 per cent of people with drug use disorders in Europe received treatment. In contrast, only 9 per cent of those with drug use disorders in the Americas received treatment. In Canada, various health and social supports are available to people who use substances, including harm reduction resources and treatment and recovery programs. But access has long been a concern, especially for people living outside of urban centres. There's also the problem of cost: Canada has a two-tiered system for addictions treatment. Those who can afford to attend private facilities can bypass the often long lines for publicly funded supports. Wait times vary across the country, stretching from days to years. Private facilities tip the scales in Canada but it is unclear to what extent as there is no organization dedicated to tracking these services, unlike in the United States. Ninety per cent of substance-use facilities are operated by private organizations, according to a 2023 report from SAMHSA. Where Canada significantly differs from the U.S. is on harm reduction services. Prof. Caulkins said Canada is 'light years ahead' when it comes to supervised drug-use sites, where people can use drugs under the supervision of a health care worker. He said no other country went 'whole hog' the way Canada did. But, in recent years, there has been a shift, particularly among conservative-leaning politicians, to focus on recovery-oriented supports at the expense of programs aimed at mitigating harm to drug users. According to the federal government, roughly 30 drug-use sites – where staff perform life-saving measures in case of overdose – are currently operating across Canada. The necessity of these sites has, however, been the subject of intense debate, as residents and municipal governments express concern about social disorder and crime in the neighbourhoods where they're located. Opposition to drug-use sites have led some politicians to order closures. Ontario Premier Doug Ford shuttered nearly half of the province's 23 sites earlier this year, arguing that they are the 'worst thing that could ever happen to a community.' Alexander Caudarella, chief executive of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, said what Europeans have been more successful at than Canadians is addressing public concerns while still ensuring people who need these services have access. 'In Europe, I think they're more advanced than that,' Dr. Caudarella said. 'They recognize it to be more of a community issue.' He pointed to countries like Spain and the Netherlands, where local stakeholders – such as police, health authorities and neighbourhood groups – work together to integrate drug consumption spaces into communities. These services, which he noted are also adequately funded, then become 'part of the city fabric.' Meanwhile, he said Canada – its people and governments – take a more individualistic approach. Britain and EU countries also have a long tradition of public health care that provides universal coverage and better access to general practitioners. That usually means health issues are addressed sooner and within a wider segment of the population, whereas the U.S. system is largely unaffordable for those without insurance. Public health care also means there is less incentive for U.S. style 'pill mills': doctors and pharmacies who have an economic incentive to prescribe opioids. Opioid users in Europe are also far more likely to have access to treatment programs and harm reduction services. Amsterdam University Medical Centre's Dr. van den Brink said that up to 50 per cent of users in Europe have access to some kind of treatment program, compared with around 15 per cent in the U.S. 'We know very well that opiate maintenance treatment is associated with lower levels of criminality and lower levels of overdose deaths,' he said. Pain management is also generally more comprehensive in Europe and involves more than doling out pills. 'It's also about supporting people in general in their life. So we know that access to care and access to social care is also important,' said Patrice Forget, the clinical chair in anesthesia at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and a director of the European Pain Federation. 'We haven't been inundated by this drug, which is probably good. But we do hope also that it's more positive than that, and that it's not just by avoiding fentanyl, but that it's also because we have developed a number of strategies.' Sam Quinones: How the 'discovery' of fentanyl changed North America Jonathan Caulkins: Canada is not to blame for America's fentanyl crisis André Picard: We need to better equip young people to deal with overdoses
