Oak Harbor officials are moving forward with an ordinance that aims to reduce drug-related activity in a problematic section of town through a court process.

The “stay out of designated area” ordinance, if adopted, would allow judges to impose a condition on people convicted of drug-related crimes that bans them from entering a specific zone. Those who defy the condition could be arrested by police for violating a court order.

At a city council workshop Tuesday, Chief of Police Tony Slowik presented the layout of a stay out of designated area ordinance. The boundaries of the proposed area of exclusion would be based on crime data, but in the past, city officials have talked about the ordinance in relation to the SPiN Cafe — a facility that helps people in need — on Southwest Barlow Street.

“The purpose is to make sure that people feel like they can walk around safety,” Slowik said in an interview. While the city has a low overall crime rate, he said that perception is vital to public safety.

Slowik said the police have documented an increase in illegal drug activity and related crimes in the business district on the south side of the city. Calls for service to the police have increased in the last few years by over 1,000% on Barlow Street, according to Slowik. Of those calls, 151 incidents associated with drug activity were within a quarter-mile radius and about a third of them were specific to Barlow Street, he explained.

This ordinance, Slowik said, acts as yet another tool in preventing drug use, distribution and sales.

Once a person is charged with or convicted of a drug-related crime, the city prosecutor can request a judge to impose “a stay out of designated area” order. It’s ultimately up to the judges to decide, the police chief emphasized, with the checks-and-balances of the legal system ensuring people’s rights are respected.

The ultimate goal, Slowik said, is the make the area safer. The director of the SPiN Cafe previously said that the organization supports the ordinance.

Councilmember Eric Marshall said he favors the ordinance but is wary that it will not protect drug addicts seeking help.

“I just want to make sure we are not limiting access to pharmacies,” Marshall said. “I would hate to dehumanize anybody and not allow them to have those services.“

The court would have the ability to modify the geographical area to accommodate special purposes, Slowik stated, including attending a meeting at a government location, seeing a doctor’s office and more.

Other districts have integrated “stay out of designated areas,” also know as “stay out of drug areas” into their cities, including in Everett, Marysville, Tacoma and Monroe. With multiple of these exclusion zones, Everett has seen decreases in drug activity and other violations connected with drugs, said Slowik.

The zone won’t be defined by perception, according to the police chief, but based on statistics.

“This really is driven by data,” Slowik said. “So if the data doesn’t show that it justifies a geographical boundary that we put in place, then I wouldn’t support doing that.”

Councilmember James Marrow was optimistic about the ordinance but noted it is not going to solve all of the drug-related criminal activity in the city.

“I think this will be a great step in the right direction, but I view it only as an initial step,” he opined.

This ordinance will be discussed at a future council meeting.