Pubdate: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: David Carrigg ILLEGAL HASTINGS DRUG MARKET FINDS NEW LOCATION An attempt by city cops to disperse the open drug market outside the Carnegie Centre has simply pushed the scene 50 metres west along Hastings Street. For the past decade, a drug market has flourished on the doorstep of the centre at the corner of Main and Hastings streets, forcing community members to run a gauntlet of dealers and prostitutes to get inside. On Nov. 6, however, the Vancouver Police Department began maintaining a 24-hour, seven-day presence outside the community centre, leading to an immediate, dramatic reduction in illegal activity. At the time, VPD spokeswoman Sarah Bloor said previous beat policing methods had failed because people would return as soon as the police were gone. "This is somewhat akin to stepping in a puddle of water. The water is momentarily displaced but once you remove your foot the water simply flows back into the puddle." In this case, the puddle has simply moved west, to a stretch of sidewalk in front of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority's Health Contact Centre, the old Pantages Theatre and the Regent Hotel, currently closed due to bylaw infractions. Insp. Bob Rich, who is responsible for implementing the full-time watch outside the Carnegie Centre, confirmed the drug market remains in the 100-block of East Hastings. "I am going to do something about it but I have limited resources," said Rich. "We haven't tried to enlarge the circle of control beyond the Carnegie but we are going to have to find out how much territory two police officers can hold." Rich said the police department is struggling to maintain beat patrols, answer 911 calls in the area and dismantle pawn brokers, grocery stores and bars that benefit from the drug economy, and has requested an extra 44 cops for the area. More drug treatment facilities and a court system willing to jail non-violent offenders are crucial to ensuring police have real control over the drug market in the area, he said. "Right now, the courts don't see the pimps and drug dealers as violent offenders. But what they do is so violent, living off the misery of others, particularly young women," said Rich, who supports a safe injection site in the area provided the courts prosecute people found using drugs within a "bubble zone" around the site. Carnegie Centre director Michael Clague is pleased the open drug market has shifted from outside his centre. Now he's pushing authorities to open an overnight sobering centre and increase detox beds to provide a more permanent solution to the problem. "The police can't do more than they are," he said. "What's happened at the corner has significantly benefited Carnegie, but it really hasn't addressed the problem. We need the system changed, I can't emphasize [enough] the importance of detox and treatment." Dana Barnaby, spokesman for the Pantages Preservation Society, said he noticed last week that the drug market had shifted in front of the theatre, which the group hopes to restore and open in the new year. Though he's concerned the drug market could interfere with renovation efforts, Barnaby insisted dealers and users have never been violent toward him. "I've been down there three years and if I stand outside the theatre and start asking people what they're doing, they soon move away without any problems." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth