Pubdate: Thu, 10 Jul 2014
Source: Georgia Straight, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 The Georgia Straight
Contact:  http://www.straight.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1084
Author: Travis Lupick

MARIJUANA OFFENCES ARE UP BUT VANCOUVER POLICE STRESS THEY'RE STILL
SOFT ON POT

THE VANCOUVER POLICE Department wants you to know that it is not
cracking down on marijuana.

Chief Const. Jim Chu made a notable point of stressing that message in
the VPD's annual report for 2013.

"One statistic that may surprise you is the increase in cannabis
incidents," Chu states there. "That number has jumped from 864 in 2012
to 1,048 last year. This does not reflect a hardening of the VPD drug
policy. Our policy is and remains one that focuses on violent drug
dealers who prey on marginalized and vulnerable people."

The report states that cannabis "offences"-which describes everything
from a trafficking bust to a confiscation of a joint-went up 20
percent. Incidents involving heroin increased 48 percent and "other
drugs" offences increased 18 percent. Cocaine violations were down one
percent.

In a telephone interview, Const. Brian Montague said it's "really
tough to speculate" what accounts for those spikes in drug offences.

"We might just be seeing more drugs on the street right now,
especially when it comes to cannabis," the VPD spokesperson said.
"People are becoming a little bit more open about using it."

Montague noted that the vast majority of those 1,048 marijuana
offences were likely simple seizures that did not include officers
recommending charges.

Kirk Tousaw, a lawyer and Sensible B.C. board member, told the
Straight that he found those incident numbers less interesting than
Chu's message. "The VPD, especially when it comes to cannabis
offences, seems to go to great pains to point out it has not increased
enforcement," he said.

Tousaw, an advocate for marijuana reform, noted that every offence
recorded represents an expenditure of police resources.

"There were around 1,000 incidents," he said. "That's a lot of man-or
woman-hours that they shouldn't have to spend."
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