POLICE 'LOSING' WAR ON DRUGS

Calls For New Squad

Toronto police are losing the downtown drug war and should appoint a
full-time squad to attack street-level drug dealers, Councillor Kyle Rae
said yesterday.

Rae has sent a letter to Chief Julian Fantino asking for a permanent squad
of nine officers to battle the growing drug trade plaguing the city's core.

He'll also raise the issue at today's police services board meeting. "The
drug trade continues to thrive in this area ... it's a losing battle," Rae
said.

In January 2000, police disbanded the Asian and Street Crime squads. The 17
officers were replaced by two squads of nine officers each as part of a
larger plan to centralize the city's drug squads.

"The inroads and impact that local officers had made in the east downtown
are in jeopardy of being lost if we cannot maintain the policing presence,"
Rae said in his letter.

Rae said the beat cops played a critical part in keeping drug dealers out
of his downtown neighbourhood because officers walk through streets that
can't be patrolled by cars.

He said the number of bars and clubs where Ecstasy and other chemical drugs
are available continue to grow because the drug squad is focused on other
parts of the city.

"The major neighbourhood problem is drug dealing -- if police focused on
the number one criminal activity in this neighbourhood other crimes would
go away."

Fantino was unavailable for comment.