Lethbridge MLA Shannon Phillips said Jason Kenney has overstepped and owes the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) an apology.
“They don’t deserve this type of thing, their jobs are hard enough,” she added.
The UCP leader was in Lethbridge last week and Phillips said he took direct aim at LPS.
“He leveled an accusation that our law enforcement professionals are shrugging their shoulders in response to the very serious opioid crisis we have in this province and in this city. That is inappropriate.”
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The opposition leader told local media at a press event on Friday that law enforcement “should not be shrugging its shoulders.”
“They should be overturning the tables to track down the dealers who brought that into the local market,” Kenney said.
“So I don’t accept a shrug of the shoulders.”
Phillips is demanding Kenney apologize.
“Law enforcement, fire and EMS–everyone is deeply affected by the opioid crisis and everyone is doing their part to work as hard as they can with the resources they have.”
Kenney is out of the country and could not be reached for comment, according to the UCP director of strategic communications.
UCP critic for the solicitor general Mike Ellis told Global News he won’t speak on Kenney’s behalf, but despite what the leader said, neither of them believe LPS is shrugging its shoulders at the issue.
“I don’t believe that for one second and I don’t believe Mr. Kenney believes that for one second,” he said. “However, Mr. Kenney has toured the safe injection site and the downtown area in Lethbridge and he has seen the devastation that this opioid crisis has had on the community of Lethbridge.”
Ellis also said he is not aware of any meetings Kenney has had with Lethbridge police to specifically discuss the LPS response to the opioid crisis.
Lethbridge Police Chief Rob Davis was not available for comment.