Pubdate: Thu, 27 Feb 2003
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Gerard Young, Times Colonist

DOWNTOWN CLEANUP DRIVES ADDICTS, VIOLENCE ELSEWHERE

Three weeks after the drive to clean up downtown Victoria began police 
enforcement has far outpaced social initiatives.

And while downtown business is happy with the drug crackdown, tensions are 
rising at outreach facilities for the city's street people. Several 
facilities, including the Open Door on Pandora Avenue, have had to shut 
down for a day due to violence or abuse.

"We need to do something," said Rev. Al Tysick of the Open Door.

He estimates the Open Door has peaked at about 600 visitors, as numbers 
have increased over the last three weeks.

With such an intense police presence downtown, addicts and their dealers 
are looking for places where cops aren't, which tends to be places offering 
outreach, he said.

There have been fights, including one man slugging another client with a 
chain and lock. The shelter shut down for one day during another altercation.

Disagreements in the drug trade that might have been settled previously in 
a downtown alley are now erupting at places such as the Open Door, he said. 
That is unsettling for other clients who depend on the outreach services 
for some tranquillity.

The needle exchange at Aids Vancouver Island also shut its doors for a day 
recently but executive director Miki Hansen can't be sure whether the 
trouble was related to downtown.

"The violence was verbal and it was threatening and we weren't able to keep 
the place open," she said.

Tensions have increased over the last year due to a variety of factors but 
have been exacerbated with the downtown police crackdowns, she said.

"People are on edge," she said, pointing out that the number of clients is 
increasing by 40 a month.

Don McTavish, the co-ordinator of shelters for the Victoria Cool Aid 
Society, said the downtown crackdown cranked up the pressure on those who 
are already dealing with addiction, health issues, government cutbacks and 
homeless issues.

The city, its police department and the Vancouver Island Health Authority 
earlier this month launched a downtown action plan to tackle the core's 
social ills.

Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe also wants to get business, service providers and 
community associations involved.

"My only concern is we can only do so much with enforcement until the other 
parts of our strategy (are in place)," Lowe said. "Until then we are no 
better off."

Police Insp. Bill Naughton said as of Wednesday bike, foot and vehicle 
patrols had nabbed 45 people downtown for trafficking, 17 for possession 
for the purpose of trafficking and 38 for possession of drugs.

As well, 37 people were arrested for breaching a court order, 50 for 
outstanding warrants as well as more than a dozen offences such as theft or 
obstruction of justice. Five prostitutes and six johns were also busted. 
Police also issued 50 tickets for infractions such as cycling without a helmet.

The current drug task force, which consists of 20 members, is so far only a 
temporary move though it will be evaluated after a few months on whether it 
should become permanent.

Still, drug dealers are getting the message, Naughton said.

But the downside of successfully chasing drug activity off downtown streets 
is that the addicts and dealers will move indoors or to other parts of 
town. Police have strategies for that but other parts of the downtown 
action plan will help when it fully kicks in, he said.

The health authority has improved the flow of psychiatric patients through 
Royal Jubilee Hospital emergency and added more hours for which it is 
staffed by a psychiatric nurse, spokeswoman Shelby Chamberlain said. The 
health authority deals with mental illness and addiction under the same 
umbrella.

As well, young detox is now funded for around the clock care rather than 
the 17 days a month it was previously.

Also, the health authority has struck an implementation committee, 
including groups such as the Open Door and Cool Aid, to look at 
establishing a sobering centre as an alternative to the police drunk tank. 
But so far it has yet to get any new social workers on the streets.

Regardless, downtown business is happy there are fewer drug dealers and 
other desirables on their streets.

"That is what we have heard that there has been an improvement," Greater 
Victoria Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Laurene Clark said. "As soon as we 
see the improvement in the downtown we will see more people coming downtown."

Denyce Burrows, owner of Old Fashioned Flowers and Gifts, was instrumental 
in drawing attention to downtown when she complained about drug activities 
in the adjacent Johnson Street parkade. "I'm sure it's getting better," she 
said.

However, there are still too many transients, such as panhandlers, on the 
street, she said. She and others want to launch a campaign to get people to 
stop giving to panhandlers.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D