Pubdate: Tue, 02 May 2006
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?131 (Heroin Maintenance)
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topics/NAOMI (North American Opiate 
Maintenance Project)

ACADEMIC BRINGS UNIQUE ROLE TO CRIME-PREVENTION POSITION

An academic who studied the impact of heroin use on Vancouver's 
Downtown East Side has stepped into the role of the city's new 
crime-prevention officer.

Mark Huhn started the job Monday following an official announcement 
by Mayor Terry Lake. He fills a role vacated by Pete Backus, who 
dropped out partway through his one-year contract with the city last 
September to run for mayor.

Unlike Backus, who was a former RCMP officer, Huhn's background is in 
research and crime-reduction strategies. Lake said this made Huhn an 
ideal candidate for the job.

"We thought that given Mark's background in research and his ability 
to go on the street in one of the roughest neighbourhoods in Canada 
would serve him well in working with community groups in Kamloops and 
understanding the types of problems we're facing here," he said.

Lake was referring to Huhn's work with the North American Opiate 
Maintenance Project (NAOMI). NAOMI tracks heroin addicts to see if 
prescribed heroin is better than methadone for treatment while 
monitoring whether giving the drug for free would reduce homelessness 
and crime.

Huhn said he will use the knowledge he gained while working with 
NAOMI and apply it to his job here.

"In any urban area you have the same problems   regardless of size," he said.

His other duties include collecting and analysing statistics, 
developing crime-prevention performance measures and working with 
business groups and neighbourhoods to develop crime-prevention strategies.

Lake said this includes working with Kamloops RCMP and the downtown 
business association's Central Ambassador Program, which returns to 
city streets June 1.

RCMP Supt. Jim Begley said the police foot patrol starts operating 
out of the North and South Shore community policing offices in time 
for the May 20 long weekend. Constables Mark Price and George Buttuls 
will alternate between both sides of the river.

Huhn moved to Vancouver from Saskatchewan in 2003 and is now settling 
in Kamloops. He is completing his PhD in criminology at Simon Fraser 
University.

His research on crime-reduction strategies is being done in 
consultation with RCMP E-Division headquarters, SFU and the Institute 
for Canadian Research Studies, he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom