Pubdate: Wed, 03 Apr 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 MAYOR DOES DRIVE-BY, DECLARES MEAN STREETS 'IMPROVED' The time and money sunk into cleaning up the Downtown Eastside are finally paying dividends, says Mayor Philip Owen. Owen said he recently drove through the area on a Saturday for about two hours, after an absence of about a month, and noticed several improvements. "I noticed less graffiti, less bad activity and less congregation around Pigeon Park and the Carnegie Centre. It's not like it used to be and seems like it's improved," said Owen at last week's Vancouver Police Board meeting. The city, province and federal government have put enormous resources into dealing with the area's drug and social problems over the past few years, culminating with the Vancouver Agreement in 2000 and Mayor Owen's Framework for Action-A Four Pillar Approach to Drug Problems in the Downtown Eastside in 2001. The four pillars are enforcement, prevention, treatment and harm reduction. Last April, Owen was the first non-medical professional to win the prestigious B.C. Provincial Health Officer Award for his efforts. The city has established a Downtown Eastside Revitalization Program and a $5-million Community Crime Prevention/Revitalization Project, backed by the Vancouver Coalition for Crime Prevention and Drug Treatment. A Downtown Eastside Economic Revitalization Strategy is underway and police resources have been bolstered throughout the area. The city's engineering department is also cleaning the sidewalks and gutters up to twice a day and litter cans are emptied and roadways hosed down nightly. Lanes are being hosed down six nights a week and a graffiti contractor is assigned to the area. Insp. Ken Frail, the district commander responsible for the area, pointed to several positive factors improving street conditions in the area, including redesign of the streetscape outside the Carnegie Centre at Main and Hastings streets, notorious for drug deals and drug use. Frail said new security measures-including a buzzer at the front door-at the Health Contact Centre in the old Roosevelt Hotel on East Hastings Street have reduced crowds inside and outside the facility. "It doesn't have a drop-in centre feel to it any more." Insp. Al Niedener, commander of District 2, said policing in the area is becoming more efficient, although he's concerned about how provincial and federal government cutbacks will affect drug use and crime on the street. "It seems right now there is only one of the four pillars [enforcement] really working and the rest seem to be crumbling." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth