Pubdate: Fri, 12 May 2006 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2006 Calgary Herald Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 Author: Tony Seskus POLICE ENDORSE CITY CORE PATROLS Calgary police will start work on a downtown strategy -- including a "rapid deployment team" -- as part of a crime crackdown in the core, the mayor and police chief announced Thursday. The team will be part of a co-ordinated safety program, with more police, transit security, a downtown fire hall, and civic staff to clean up litter and grafitti. It will funded out of the $25.7 million in tax room the city grabbed after the province elected to collect less money for education. "We will be moving forward very quickly with a comprehensive plan that addresses . . . public safety in the downtown," Mayor Dave Bronconnier said after meeting for nearly an hour with Chief Jack Beaton and Calgary police commission chair John Watson. The move will boost the number of officers working the downtown to 30 from 12. The rapid deployment team will be dedicated to pursuing types of crime deemed to be the biggest concern. Exactly how it will work and the approach the police will take is something to be worked out over the next month or so. The announcement came after the mayor revealed last week his desire to "clean up" the downtown, proposing a $15.7-million strategy that includes $7 million for the police service. Thursday's meeting is significant as it erases speculation police officials may not buy into the plan. While the city's politicians can direct funding towards policing, under the Police Act it's up to the police commission and the police chief to work out how it will be spent. "There is no question we are all united and on the same page," Bronconnier said. Added Watson: "The Calgary police commission is very pleased with the mayor's focus on fighting crime and the additional funding that will be coming to the commission. And we'll be working with the chief of police to make sure that is spent well." The mayor said he sees the rapid deployment team acting in a co-ordinated approach with all city agencies to address hot spots or issues that require special attention in the downtown, including litter, grafitti, petty crime and harassment. In time, he hopes the team will be available throughout the city. "The downtown is the focal point of this plan and will remain so, but it is not the only piece of this plan," Bronconnier said. Beaton said he'll start work on putting together an implementation strategy for the police commission. The chief, who referred to the idea as a "district response team," said he hopes to have the plan drawn up in about a month. However, the chief stressed police have not been turning a blind eye to downtown crime. He noted that in the past year police have operated about a dozen drugs and vice operations in the downtown, laying some 2,500 charges against 850 people. "We're still one of the safest communities in Calgary, but we're not without crime," Beaton said. Talk at city hall of a police crackdown has raised concerns among some homeless advocates. Dermot Baldwin of the Calgary Drop-In Centre believes the problems in the core have been exaggerated for political purposes. "On the surface, (a crackdown) will make people happier because they feel safer because we've worked really hard at making them feel unsafe," he said. "We've worked very, very hard at calling the downtown people creeps and bums and addicts." However, Beaton said he would "absolutely not" want to see a police crackdown on the homeless. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman