Pubdate: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Prince George Citizen Contact: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350 Author: Frank Peebles DOWNTOWN THE FOCUS OF NEW POLICE SQUAD A new police squad for downtown Prince George will arrest like never before, but they will also work like never before with the suspects. Cpl. Kent MacNeill has been working the streets of the northern capital for nine years, the latter four in their plainclothes drug section. He was tapped by Supt. Brenda Butterworth-Carr to command a dedicated team who will do little else but police the core of the city with a zero tolerance attitude, but with a twist. "We will apply whatever laws are at our disposal: the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, liquor laws, city bylaws, anything we can use," said MacNeill. He intends to have regular meetings with the law enforcement agencies that accompany these various regulations. He also intends to meet regularly with the variety of social agencies in the downtown and across the city, because this team also has a follow-through mandate. "If I know someone who frequents the downtown, someone who causes problems for the businesses and agencies in the downtown, and I catch him smashing a parking meter or a window or whatever, I will arrest that person, I will see that person through prosecution in court, but we will not wash our hands of him. We will take a look at what that person's needs are, and help source out help for that. Maybe he needs some mental health care, maybe there's an addiction that needs treatment, maybe he's had a troubled life and needs counselling of some kind. We can't dictate what a person does to get help, but we can refer people to their options, and the better our relationships with the agencies that deliver that service, the better chance these people have of not doing things that will attract the attention of police and the courts. We will see them through that process as well, so we can maybe get to the root of the crimes instead of just cycling the same people through the system all the time." The new team will wear police uniforms and will work closely with the other units at the detachment. Being on the street interacting with prolific offenders and the harmless homeless alike will gather important intelligence to fight organized crime and the seedier local underworld. "One thing we are cognizant of is the displacement effect, whenever you crack down on a certain area," said Const. Gary Godwin, spokesman for the Prince George RCMP. "When this team goes to work, we expect that the areas around the downtown are going to worry about criminal activity migrating to their backyard, but we will also be trying to respond to that where it's needed with the regular watch members, but by putting more attention on the real needs of these people we arrest, we hope to actually reduce the amount of crime not just push it around to other areas." "Those resources (social agencies) are there for a reason, they do good work, they know a lot of these people already, they are there to help people and so are we so we want to engage them," MacNeill said. "If we can use enforcement as a tool to get people the overall help they need to exit a high-risk lifestyle, or a criminal lifestyle, that's a great thing. Crime will be reduced, and maybe we can help some people get through to a better life for themselves. Everybody wins." The downtown foot patrols by auxiliary and reserve constables, and normal patrols by Mounties on the daily watch should not be diminished, said MacNeill. However, this team might be doing patrols on foot, or on bike, or in vehicle. MacNeill is currently touring the downtown social agencies letting them know of the new team's impending launch and the ways they might be able to work together. He also plans to tour local businesses to likewise introduce himself to merchants who have often felt the brunt of downtown crime, a situation MacNeill called "an open-air drug market." The downtown enforcement team is scheduled to begin their pilot phase in January, and be fully ramped up by spring. - --- MAP posted-by: Doug