Pubdate: Thu, 18 Sep 2003
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Jack Keating
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

POLICE ACTION ONLY MOVED DRUG TRADE

The police crackdown in the Downtown Eastside has moved many crack-cocaine 
dealers to Vancouver's central business district and the West End, senior 
police officers admitted yesterday.

"The problem has definitely branched out more," said Insp. Bob Rolls.

"We see that there has been a significant part of the problem moving . . . 
downtown."

Crack dealers now openly roam the areas around Richards, Seymour, Dunsmuir, 
Georgia, West Pender and Granville Streets and the West End after being 
pushed since April from Main and Hastings.

Deputy Police Chief Bob Rich said the dealers downtown "didn't used to be 
there."

Rich and Rolls made their comments after a Vancouver Police Board meeting 
in which they confirmed that the police crackdown in the Downtown Eastside 
would continue for another year.

"We're not going away," said Rich. "The chief said once we've started this 
we're not just going to walk away."

Senior officers are now trying to map out ways to deal with the migration 
of drug dealers -- what they call the "displaced order and crime" problem.

When asked what was the point of moving the drug problem Rolls said: "One 
of the things that we felt for a long time was that there isn't a good 
reason why one area of the city should basically have all the problem."

Police expect their official "evaluation report" on the crackdown to be 
finished in November at which time city council will assess what has 
occurred in terms of further funding.

"We're not going to sacrifice the Downtown Eastside for the sake of other 
communities," said Rich. "You can't equate some people now dealing in drugs 
[downtown] as the same thing that was occurring in the Downtown Eastside."

- - Julie Berg, whose brother died in police custody, demanded the board 
order a "public inquiry into the department's handling of 61 missing women 
in the Downtown Eastside, the death of prisoners in custody and police 
brutality.

- - Rich said police are "not looking for a violent confrontation" if 
marijuana activist Marc Emery and his supporters openly smoke pot in front 
of their Cambie Street headquarters today at 4 p.m. Emery said he will 
smoke pot at there to prove it is not illegal to smoke marijuana in B.C., 
despite what the police say.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom