Pubdate: Thu, 01 Dec 2005
Source: Georgia Straight, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Georgia Straight
Contact:  http://www.straight.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1084
Author: Charlie Smith

CHIEF SENDS A WARNING TO SAM SULLIVAN

How many people in Vancouver have ever given money to a panhandler, 
knowing that these funds will probably be used to buy drugs? How many 
nondrug users have ever been in the presence of others, perhaps 
family members, as they consumed illegal drugs?

That number is probably in the tens of thousands. Yet Vancouver 
police Chief Jamie Graham has decided that only one of those 
residents, mayor-elect Sam Sullivan, deserves to be reviewed by the 
RCMP for giving someone money to buy drugs and watching them consume 
them in his presence.

Here's how the story has been told so far. As a city councillor 
several years ago, Sullivan said was he curious to learn more about 
drug addiction. He has made no secret that he thinks addicts have a 
disability and that their condition should be viewed as an illness.

Sullivan admitted that on some occasions, he gave money to addicts, 
including a sex-trade worker, so they could buy drugs and alleviate 
the symptoms of their illness. Sullivan said that he once observed an 
addict buy drugs and then watched him smoke crack in his van.

Sullivan's opponents at Vision Vancouver, many of whom belong to the 
provincial NDP, tried to make a huge issue of this in the recent 
muni?cipal election, particularly within the Chinese-speaking 
community. There were suggestions that Sullivan wasn't fit for the 
mayor's office because he gave someone money that was used to buy 
drugs. There were dark hints that Sullivan had been involved in a 
major scandal because he watched one of those addicts consume drugs.

This didn't register with the Vancouver electorate, who tired of the 
war on drugs many years ago. But the message obviously resonated with 
Chief Graham--a former RCMP officer who has a warm relationship with 
another former RCMP officer, Mayor Larry Campbell.

On November 29, Graham told reporters that he was so alarmed by 
Sullivan's actions that he contacted the Mounties. Graham did it 
during an election campaign. RCMP spokesperson Sgt. John Ward let the 
reporters know that officers were looking into it. The incoming mayor 
of Vancouver is being scrutinized for giving money to addicts, who 
bought drugs. Quelle scandale.

How convenient for Graham. As mayor, Sullivan chairs the police board 
and, in effect, becomes one of Graham's bosses. By siccing the 
Mounties on Sullivan, Graham has sent an early warning that Sullivan 
had better not get too uppity and start messing with police budget requests.

The RCMP review is also convenient for Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond 
Louie, who is often cited as a potential challenger for the mayor's 
office in 2008. Mayor Campbell, chair of the police board, has been 
one of Louie's biggest supporters. Louie and the three other Vision 
Vancouver councillors will reap political benefits with the 
law-and-order crowd as long as this story remains in the news.

The Vision Vancouver caucus has a choice. The four members--Louie, 
Tim Stevenson, George Chow, and Heather Deal--can stand on the 
sidelines and watch the spectacle. Or they can demonstrate some 
political maturity and criticize the RCMP for wasting police 
resources on a frivolous matter when there are surely more important 
policing priorities. If Vision Vancouver councillors choose the 
latter course, they'll demonstrate to the public that they're finally 
moving out of the shadow of their party's real founder, former drug 
cop Larry Campbell.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman