RETAILERS DECRY CUTS TO DRUG SQUAD

Toronto's shortage of drug police has local businesspeople worried that
declining vigilance could hurt the downtown core's dealer-infested
neighbourhoods.

Cutbacks of foot and bicycle patrols have compounded the problem, says
Councillor Kyle Rae, whose Ward 27 embraces some of Toronto's most notorious
drug-dealing turf.

He said the number of 51 Division officers on foot patrol and bicycles in
his constituency's toughest neighbourhoods was cut in half in December due
to reorganization of Toronto Police.

Meanwhile, a detective with the central drug squad said the complement of
undercover drug officers working downtown has also declined, despite an
entrenched crack-cocaine problem there.

"This unit is short on manpower, which reflects back on service to the
community," Detective Rick Chase said.

According to Mr. Rae, some of the blame belongs at the feet of Chief Julian
Fantino because he prefers more officers in uniform and in squad cars, and
fewer in plainclothes or walking a beat. The chief also deploys officers to
neighbourhoods according to the number of incident calls.

The police force's decision to centralize the drug squad has made the
situation worse, Mr. Rae said.

"We have a drug squad that bounces around the whole city of Toronto. It does
not commit to a certain neighbourhood and is not accountable to unit
commanders," he said. "We're not able to have consistent and regular drug
enforcement as a result."

But Police Services Board chair Norm Gardner -- the only one available to
respond yesterday -- has no time for those arguments. The real issue, he
says, is that there aren't enough police officers to go around. Period.

"Obviously, we could use a lot more people than we have at the time," Mr.
Gardner said. "But if you get a priority call, do you want somebody out
walking on the street or do you want them to respond to the call?"

At the intersection of Church and Dundas streets, the pervasive drug
subculture is still a daily burden, say local retailers, despite some
hopeful signs of neighbourhood gentrification.

Ali Jafaar, who has owned and operated a convenience store called Aga Mart
there for five years, said he has had drug dealers meet clients in his store
and complete a deal in front of his checkout counter.

He's also had the automated banking machine in his store trashed and his
candy counter vandalized by those he suspected were drug-addled customers.
He used to operate 24 hours, but he couldn't safely leave an employee alone
overnight. So, now, he closes after midnight.

Across the street, the owner of a jewellery pawn shop who asked not to be
named, complained of the number of dealers in the area and the constant
threat of robbery.

"There are drugs everywhere and it's not safe," he said.

Mr. Jafaar doesn't want to see more uniformed officers in patrol cars in his
area. "It scares off tourists," he said.

Mr. Rae said police in marked cars cannot effectively deal with the area's
drug problems in any case.

The owner of Polytechnic Hardware, half a block from Aga Mart, agrees.

H. Yohannes, who refused to give his first name, said last summer he saw
officers regularly patrolling the sidewalk in front of his bright, neat
store, and he liked it. "It's a deterrent," he said.