Pubdate: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Kamloops This Week Contact: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271 Author: Markus Ermisch Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms) RESIDENTS PLEAD FOR SAFE-INJECTION SITES Calls for a safe-injection site were heard at city council this week after residents of a downtown townhouse complex complained about a series of attempted break-ins and alleyway drug use in their neighbourhood. "A safe-injection site would be a good thing," said Kerri Carl. "These people need a safe site to shoot up." Carl lives at Westview Village in the 100-block of Nicola Street. Just up the block, at the intersection of First Avenue and Columbia Street, is an apartment building, which is a "a disgrace to the downtown core," the owners of Westview Village wrote in a letter to council. "As a direct result of the clientele living in the apartment, our neighbourhood is becoming increasingly unsafe and the crime activities are at an all-time high," the letter states. To deal with the issue, Westview owners asked council to improve lighting in the alley behind Westview Village and to consider a safe-injection site for the city. Carl said a safe-injection site "doesn't have to be in any specific part of the city." Council decided to forward the matter to Pete Backus, Kamloops' crime prevention officer. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth