Police Federation of Australia Chief Scott Weber has slammed a move to decriminalise small amounts of drugs in the ACT as an "absolute disaster", echoing concerns from the policing community ahead of the legislation coming into effect next month.
On Wednesday, Mr Weber told a parliamentary joint law enforcement committee that community, health and police services were not adequately prepared for the change.
"From a policing point of view, we just think this is absolute disaster. It's a sheer folly," he said.
"It's going to be a drain on resources, not only on policing, but the community as a whole. The health system is already struggling, we've seen that through COVID, this is just another facet that's going to put more pressure on the community."
Last year, the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to decriminalise small quantities of illicit drugs, including heroin, MDMA and cocaine.
The move has sparked criticism from both police and the federal opposition, who are seeking to overturn the laws.
Mr Weber questioned whether the legislative change would see people flocking to Canberra to take drugs.
"Is it going to be ... like Portugal, where narco tourism is going to be a thing?" he questioned.
"You don't fly down to Canberra to see the nation's capital, the art gallery and the museums and everything Canberra has to offer, you fly down there for a party to get on illicit drugs because it's more readily available, easier. And if you do get called out with 1.5 grams, you're not going to have a criminal record."
But some have described similar criticism as "scaremongering".
The ACT government said reforms have been on based on the expert advice and have a "health focused, harm reduction approach".
But Mr Weber said the changes were about "ideology and not substance".
"The philosophy behind this legislation seems more about people not getting a criminal record, instead of actually reducing drugs and reducing the risk of drugs. It's a major concern for us," he said.
"Again, what happens with organised crime and the other follow-ons that through illicit drugs that money actually leads into, child exploitation, exploitation of women, other facets of organised crime."
Mr Weber said many were referring to the Portugal model but that was flawed.
"The data coming out of there is incorrect," he said.
"And we're seeing a lot of funding that was put in there, in the health system, over in Portugal but that funding has dropped."
Studies and reports found decriminalisation in Portugal has led to a number of positive outcomes, including a reduction in problematic drug use.
Instead, Mr Weber believes Australia should be looking to Canada, which shares a similar approach to policing and "geographical issues".
"They have really the same cultural background, Indigenous and First Nations issues as well," he said.
"I know in British Columbia, where they've decriminalised all drugs, illicit drugs, and you can have 2.5 grams, unlike the ACT's government request on the 23rd of October of 1.5 grams, and we're seeing a massive increase in overdoses."
Mr Weber said while the police were not happy with the move to decriminalise drugs in the ACT, "we'll make bad systems work".
"We're the universal 24/7 problem solvers, when every other government department can't pick up the slack, we will. It's not our role, but that's what we do," he said.
Mr Weber added that the Police Federation was planning a drug summit for November where there will be discussions about what people are "actually seeing and hearing on the ground" once the proposed laws kick in.
