Codiac RCMP officers are sometimes busy responding to calls each day at Moncton’s two homeless shelters.

Superintendent Ben Jolette told City Council on Monday that the calls can vary from arguments to thefts to more violent incidents.

“We can have 10 calls for service per day or even up to 20 calls per day at some of these establishments,” he noted.

“The governance of those shelters has nothing to do with us. We respond and we try to communicate with the staff there as much as we can. But there are a lot of people there and a lot of people that are struggling with a lot of various issues. ”

Jolette noted a recent change in procedure involving Ensemble Moncton – which offers a safe injection site – means police are not being called to drug overdoses which are considered medical calls.

He adds police would respond if violence or criminality was involved or a death.

Meantime, Jolette told council that two new police officers would be joining the Codiac detachment in early January and both will be focused on drug enforcement.