A 55-second YouTube production created by the Victoria Police Department is facing criticism for potentially serving as an instructional video on processing illegal drugs.

The video features drug expert Sgt. Connor King describing how to turn powdered cocaine into crack cocaine.

A community group that works with people addicted to drugs is baffled that the police would produce such a video.

"You really question why they would, in their greatest imagination, spend their time and effort and money producing something like this when there is so many other positive things they could have focused on," said Rev. Al Tysick, of the Dandelion Society.

Baking soda boxes

Victoria police say the video is intended to illustrate what sort of suspicious activity the public should be on the look-out for, such as people in their neighbourhood discarding large numbers of emptied baking soda boxes.

Crack cocaine, which is smoked in a pipe, is a crystallized form of powdered cocaine and baking soda is a major crack ingredient.

"A drug dealer will take the cocaine hydrochloride and they will mix it with common household baking soda," Const. King says in the video. "They will mix it using water and heat and the finished product will be crack cocaine."

A Victoria police spokesperson says only one person has complained about the video since it was posted on Tuesday.

The video can be viewed on the Victoria Police Department channel on YouTube.