Pubdate: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell, staff writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) CRACKDOWN COMING ON INJECTION DRUG USE On Monday, Vancouver police will begin arresting injection drug users who shoot up in public near the city's supervised injection in the Downtown Eastside. In a reversal of a longstanding police practice not to arrest addicts for possession, the department says it's taking action because some addicts continue to inject drugs near Insite at 139 East Hastings. "It's really frustrating to see that supervised injection site there and drug users not using it," said Insp. Bob Rolls, police commander for the Downtown Eastside. "Our goal here is to target the users who are creating street disorder, who are in close distance to the supervised injection site and who are refusing to use that facility." Police will focus the arrests in the area that runs from Carrall Street to Gore Street and from Pender Street to Cordova Street. Charges will be forwarded to Crown counsel, which supports the police plan, Rolls said. "We're hoping we're going to get some support from the courts. That may not happen the first time, but if we catch the same person continuing to defiantly inject within proximity to the injection site, then we're expecting that over time we might get something a little more significant." Rolls pointed out the department recognizes drug addiction is an illness but added that "you can't ignore the fact that when you've got somebody out there making it extremely difficult or extremely unpleasant for other citizens in the community, that we should be doing something about it." Police began warning drug addicts of the action Nov. 18 and have notified various Downtown Eastside agencies, including the injection site and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. The police action was prompted by complaints to police from residents and businesses, said Rolls, who singled out a case involving a volunteer at the Carnegie Community Centre at Main and Hastings. "She wasn't able to get up the steps because a woman was stretched out on her back trying to inject a needle into her neck, and when she said something to the woman, the woman lashed out at her." Various agencies that collect thousands of spent syringes per month in the Downtown Eastside continue to pick up syringes in the back alley of the injection site and surrounding streets, Rolls said. Since the injection site opened in September 2003, police have encouraged addicts to use Insite, but it's apparent that only some are listening to police, he said. "We're after the ones who are ignoring us. The real goal is to change behaviour." Mayor-elect Sam Sullivan, who has admitted to supplying money to drug addicts for drugs, wasn't available for comment when the Courier reached his media relations director yesterday afternoon. Ann Livingston, executive program director of VANDU, said the police's plan will not help those addicts who need treatment, not jail. Livingston said the police's action will further marginalize people. "For the most part, the people who are injecting in alleys are super marginalized," said Livingston, adding that 15,000 injections a day occur in the Downtown Eastside. "There's going to be a lot of them who are homeless. It doesn't make sense." The city should be instead working to get more injection sites. She also noted some addicts will avoid the injection site because staff there won't help them inject their drugs. "If in their greatest wisdom they think the public will support putting really sick addicted homeless people in jail...that's the policy the police are going to implement." At least two businesses in the Hastings corridor support the police's plan. Manager Wilson Lee of Owl Drugs at Main and Hastings said it was a good idea and will make the area safer for the public. Under the police department's old practice where drugs and syringes would be seized, the addict could easily buy more drugs and get more syringes from a needle exchange. "The other way is just wasting the police time, but I don't know if there is enough room in the prisons for these people," Lee said. "But maybe it might help for the time being." Pharmacist Mayson Chow at Sam's Pharmacy across the street from Owl Drugs said she hoped the police action would help bring more customers to the pharmacy. Chow noted police projects run a few years ago have helped reduce the street disorder in the neighbourhood, but drug use is still evident. "Maybe [the addicts] will stop using in broad daylight right in front of the store." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin