Pubdate: Wed, 30 Nov 2005
Source: Voice, The (CN BC Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Langara College
Contact:  http://www.langara.bc.ca/voice/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3592
Author: Rochelle Baker

SULLIVAN OFF TO SHAKY START

Vancouver mayor-elect Sam Sullivan is in the hot seat again. Last 
week he was fending off allegations that he assisted independent 
candidate James Green in order to beat out Jim Green in the municipal election.

This week it's because Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham has asked 
the RCMP to decide if Sullivan should be investigated for providing 
addicts with money to purchase drugs.

You have to question the judgment of someone, regardless of their 
motivation, who would help addicts buy drugs. However, the timing of 
the Vancouver Police Department's interest in Sullivan's actions is fishy.

In September while running for mayor, Sullivan admitted he provided 
an addict with money to buy crack and then let him smoke it in his van.

Sullivan said he did it to better understand addiction issues, 
although most people rely on conferences, reports, and expert or 
addict testimony to educate themselves rather than risk somebody 
overdosing in their car.

In 2000, while he was a councillor, Sullivan told the Vancouver Sun 
that he gave a sex-trade worker money to buy drugs so she wouldn't 
have to sell herself to support her habit.

According to Section 21 of the Criminal Code an individual is party 
to an offence if they help or encourage somebody to purchase 
narcotics, but why is it only now, five years after his initial 
revelations, that Sullivan's actions are coming under scrutiny by the VPD?

Why is the issue so pressing now?

Despite the fact Sullivan was a public official at the time, the VPD 
didn't exercise its discretion to launch an investigation back then.

The difference is, as mayor, Sullivan is automatically chairman of 
the Vancouver Police Board.

During the election, both outgoing mayor and political rival Larry 
Campbell and the president of the Vancouver Police Union, Tom 
Stamatakis, raised the question of Sullivan's suitability for police board.

Campbell even went so far as to write a letter expressing his 
concerns about Sullivan's behaviour to the B.C. Solicitor-General.

While in office, Campbell, a former police officer, was on good terms 
with the police department and voted to provide the VPD with 100 more 
officers; Sullivan voted against it.

A cynic might suggest the VPD is interested in Sullivan's actions now 
because it doesn't see Sullivan chairing the board in its self-interest.

While police have the right to question whether someone who might 
have broken the law is suitable to sit on its board, they also have 
the duty to investigate someone impartially, without bias and in a 
manner that serves the public.

The time to go after Sullivan was five years ago. Now that he's 
mayor, regardless of whether an investigation proceeds, relations 
between Sullivan and the VPD have been sabotaged and that doesn't help anyone.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman