Pubdate: Sat, 05 Jul 2003 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Frances Bula, Vancouver Sun Related: The YES side of the debate http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1012/a05.html HAS THE CRACKDOWN WORKED? Shelters for Drug Users Are Overrun With Dangerous Dealers Escaping Police Pressure NO When you provide a place to sleep for more than 500 people in the Downtown Eastside, a police crackdown has a big impact. For John Van Luven, the executive director of the St. James Community Service Society, the second-biggest social housing provider in the area after the Salvation Army, it means a lot of his drug-user residents are put in an impossible position. The users who do small-time dealing to support their habit have had their routines upended, the usual dealers they work with scattered and new dealers coming in who demand instant debt repayment. They want to quit, but there's been no increase in detox or treatment beds. Yes, his staff feel safer. But in the shelters, "there's more desperation," he said. Van Luven has written a letter to Vancouver city council, urging them to work on a drug strategy that focuses on all aspects of the city's so-called four pillars approach to drug addiction. "The crackdown is good because it's resulting in more people wanting to quit," said Van Luven. "But it's bad it's only one pillar, not four." At the Lookout Emergency Aid Society on Alexander Street, which houses about 200 people, Karen O'Shannacery says the crackdown has resulted in more violence as dealers try to force their way into residences to get away from police. To get into Lookout housing, dealers will try to befriend residents -- many of whom are mentally ill -- by supplying them with drugs in return for access to their rooms. If that doesn't work, they'll force their way in. The residents in turn try to protect the building. Leo Watson, who lives at the Jim Green Residence, was threatened with a gun after he refused to let a dealer in. Watson, a tall guy who doesn't take any guff, says it's inevitable when there's a police crackdown. "When you push them off the streets, they go into the bars and hotels. When they have to leave there, they come here." Watson and some others say they haven't seen much improvement on the streets with the police crackdown. Watson and Jude Swanson both have epilepsy, which makes them look like they're drunk. Swanson, who looks like a graduate student with his round-rimmed glasses, has already filed one complaint in 2002 about police slamming him onto the floor. Since April, he's had another incident with police, who he says threw him into a car after he challenged them when they gave him a ticket for jaywalking. He's planning to file another complaint. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake