The BC Liberal’s Solicitor General Critic suggests a major stumbling block with the so-called “catch and release” of those suspected of drug offenses is a lack of legal support for the police.

Mike Morris says often times individuals caught with copious amounts of drugs, likely for sale, are not detained as police have to confirm that what they’ve seized are, in fact, drugs.

Morris, who is also a former Mountie, notes that paperwork can often take months to get back to the RCMP before charges can be recommended.

“Sometimes because the lab is so overworked and we don’t have enough resources in the labs it may take months for that paperwork to come back to provide the RCMP enough material to for to Crown Council recommending charges.”

Furthermore, Morris explains in a lot of cases, it takes several months for the Crown Council to approve the charges.

“If the Attorney General drops the ball on the Administration of Justice and prosecuting those individuals and making sure the dangerous ones are kept in jail, then police become frustrated and they do a whole bunch of work for nothing,” he states. “It’s demoralizing for our police forces right across the province.”

He adds that there need to be consequences in place for prolific offenders who fail to adhere to their bail conditions and fail to attend court.

“Right now, these prolific offenders see that there are no consequences and they go and proliferate our communities with more crime and more thumbing their nose at the Administration of Justice, putting that administration justice process into disrepute. I think this is a travesty.”

Last month, three men were caught with vast amounts of drugs, money, and cell phones a block away from the RCMP detachment in downtown Kamloops. While drugs and other paraphernalia were seized, the three suspects were released “at the scene.”

-With Files from Paul James