Pubdate: Wed, 05 Oct 2005
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: David Carrigg, The Province
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

VANCOUVER POLICE SEEK COURT SUPPORT FROM HEALTH EXPERTS

Vancouver police want a mental health expert in court to help deal with the 
city's chronic repeat criminals.

"We need to show a unified front to the judge," says Det. Const. Rowan 
Pitt-Payne, an investigator with the VPD's Chronic Offenders Program.

The program was created last summer to help deal with the huge number of 
Vancouver criminals being charged and convicted over and over again. A key 
goal is to keep repeat offenders in custody until their trial date and to 
get a sentence long enough to allow the prisoner to get proper health and 
addiction treatment.

Pitt-Payne says the "revolving door" crowd are almost all drug-addicted 
with mental health issues, but they rarely receive adequate treatment in jail.

"What we want is purposeful sentencing," Pitt-Payne says. "We need to have 
someone in jail long enough so it can be worked out what's best for them in 
terms of treatment and rehabilitation. Some of them tell us the streets are 
their prison and they will do crime just to get back inside to a structured 
existence."

When a repeat offender is charged a team member visits the criminal in a 
bid to build up trust and let them know they are on the police radar.

The same team member then attends the accused's bail hearing in Vancouver 
Provincial Court where they provide remand evidence -- evidence that 
supports detention but does not relate to the particular charge being faced.

Pitt-Payne says the team is starting to make some headway and has developed 
relationships with the court's notoriously overworked Crown prosecutors.

However, it's up to the judge to assess the remand evidence, which is why 
the police want a Vancouver Coastal Health Authority employee to work with 
the repeat offenders and provide further remand evidence.

Dr. David Marsh, the health authority's addictions medicine spokesman, says 
he supports the idea.

It is expected the health authority's soon-to-be-revealed Urgent Response 
Team will include nurses who will be available to attend remand hearings.

The Urgent Response Team is aimed at diverting people with mental health 
and drug addiction problems from hospital emergency rooms.

Team members will work with police and other authorities.
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