New BrunswickAs of Nov. 1, the Fredericton Police Force responded to 162 overdoses, compared to 54 as of the same date in 2023. Overdose fatalities have also tripled, with nine so far this year compared to three in 2023. Public safety committee chair wants federal government to crack down on drug crimeSilas Brown · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2025 4:51 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Fredericton Police chief Gary Forward said the increase in overdoses is tying up police resources. (Silas Brown/CBC)The Fredericton Police Force has responded to three times as many overdoses so far this year as it had by this point in 2023.Chief Gary Forward said the sharp rise in overdose-related calls has been difficult for the force to handle. “Police are trying to perform regular duties in their bid to keep the city safe and when we are attending more of these calls, obviously, the officers are responding to matters that are of a very serious nature,” he said.He said because of the increase, it’s necessary to make sure proper partnerships with emergency services are in place and that officers have appropriate training for these types of calls. Committee chair Eric Megarity wants to see the federal government crack down on drug crime through bail reform. (Silas Brown/CBC)As of Nov. 1, police responded to 162 overdoses, compared to 54 on the same date in 2023. In 2024, that number was 97. Overdose fatalities have also tripled in the last two years, with nine so far in 2025 compared to three in 2023. The data comes from Forward’s presentation to the city’s public safety committee, which also included details on the types of drugs police are seizing. For the first time ever, Forward said that the amount of fentanyl seized is greater than the amount of cocaine encountered.WATCH | ‘It’s a serious problem’:Fredericton Police report threefold increase in overdose callsFredericton Police Force Chief Gary Forward says the increase is being driven by a rising amount of drugs, such as fentanyl, in the city. The amount of carfentanil — a synthetic opioid approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl — seized in the city is also on the rise. Police also continue to see an increasing amount of methamphetamine.“When you have these drugs that are mixed into more of the traditional drugs that include everything from cocaine to even the marijuana levels, you just simply don’t know what you’re getting,” Forward said.“So we’re having users take product with obviously no warning labels.”Committee chair Eric Megarity said the city is having a difficult time dealing with the increase in more potent street drugs, pointing to bail reform as a necessary step to help take the pressure off of police. “If it keeps escalating, that means more resources, city resources will have to be devoted to that,” he said. “It’s a serious problem and we’ve been crying for help.”Forward’s presentation noted that between May 15 and Oct. 31, there were 299 fentanyl-related arrests of people who had been released on bail from drug-related charges. The federal government introduced amendments intended to address complaints over the bail system that “would make bail stricter and harder to get, including in cases of repeat and violent offending.”It would create new reverse onuses, meaning the starting point is detention and the accused would have to prove why they should be released on bail.”ABOUT THE AUTHORSilas Brown is a Fredericton-based video journalist. You can reach him at silas.brown@cbc.ca.
Fredericton Police overdose calls have tripled since 2023
