Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jun 2006 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell, Staff writer RCMP TIME ON SULLIVAN DRUG REVIEW 'COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT' The fact that an RCMP investigation of Mayor Sam Sullivan's admission to giving money to two addicts to buy drugs didn't result in criminal charges shouldn't be perceived as the police going soft on drug probes. That's the message from RCMP Sgt. John Ward, a media relations officer with the force's B.C. headquarters in Vancouver. The RCMP issued a statement June 1, saying no criminal charges would be laid against Sullivan. "This should never be taken as a carte blanche to traffic or to possess drugs because that's not the case," Ward said. "It's a very old matter and we don't condone the trafficking of drugs and we would actively pursue any investigation that would indicate that there's drug trafficking taking place. So it shouldn't be taken as a message." The investigation was related to Sullivan's admission during the fall election campaign that he gave money several years ago to two drug addicts to buy drugs. Sullivan was a city councillor at the time. He told the Courier during the election campaign that the money was to help the addicts manage their illnesses, and to give him a better perspective on addiction. Despite the controversy, he was elected mayor in November. With the mayor's chair came Sullivan's automatic appointment as chair of the Vancouver Police Board. Police Chief Jamie Graham then requested the RCMP review the two incidents related to Sullivan. RCMP Insp. Paul Nadeau, operations officer for the Greater Vancouver drug section, conducted the review and consulted with prosecutor Bob Prior, director of federal prosecutions for B.C. They concluded there would be no criminal charges because the drugs in question were never found. As well, the two addicts were never interviewed because one of them refused and the other couldn't be found, Ward said. No cost has been tallied for the review, but Ward said Nadeau's time on the file could have been better spent on other matters. "It's time that could have been spent elsewhere. But sometimes we don't have a choice with some of the requests we get." In a conference call from Ottawa with reporters June 1, Sullivan said he regretted that the "resources of the police department and justice department were taken away from their very important work" to conduct the review. "But I'm glad that the cloud that has hung over me for the last many months has now left," said Sullivan, noting his actions have not affected his relationship with Prime Minister Stephen Harper or cabinet ministers. "I've been very honest and open with the public on this issue. In fact, I have never hid anything from the public about this issue." Despite Sullivan's admissions-which he later detailed in a statement given to the RCMP May 1-Prior said investigators couldn't prove that drugs were involved. "That's generally done through the seizing of an exhibit and the submitting of that exhibit to the drug lab-and that simply didn't exist here," he said. "That was the fundamental thing lacking in the case." Even though Sullivan said in his statement that one of the addicts, Shawn Millar, smoked crack in Sullivan's van, Prior said "the mere belief by a person that it was in fact a drug isn't enough to make it illegal." Added Prior: "I know in some ways only lawyers think this way at times. It's simply the missing of that fundamental piece of evidence. We have to prove it is in fact a drug as opposed to what [Sullivan] believed or was told." As for Sullivan's decision to give money to addicts, Prior pointed out there is a difference between "judging people on their judgment or morality versus, 'Can they be successfully prosecuted in court?'" In his statement to police, Sullivan said he learned a lot from the two addicts and the education has helped shaped his thinking and city policy. He now wants to set up a drug maintenance program for female sex trade workers who have been unsuccessful in treatment programs. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman