CRIME DISPLACED BY CRACKDOWN

Anita Goldring hopes peace will prevail, now that the Red Zone is no
longer a war zone.

"It is a fragile ecosystem and the concern would be we don't want it
to revert back," says Goldring, who owns House of York, an upscale
clothing consignment store on Commercial Street.

The challenge for police and the community is preventing addicts
congregating elsewhere, creating another place where illegal drugs
prevail, along with the crime -- prostitution and trafficking in
stolen goods -- that goes with it.

As homeless people fan out, up Commercial Street and elsewhere, two
city-struck committees are about to release reports suggesting
options for safety and to manage the social issues surrounding
homelessness and addiction.

"The concept we're working on is a cooperative approach," says George
Hanson, Downtown Nanaimo Partnership managing director.

"People look at it and say it's all criminal, or it's all drugs, or
it's all homelessness -- it's not all anything," Hanson says.

"You need a comprehensive strategy when you need to access resources
to address it."

Rick Hyne is a vocal advocate for the use of private security guards
to control the problem.

"What I'm looking for is some sort of security patrol downtown to
work with the crisis response team and the RCMP in a partnership
model," Hyne says.

Hanson says with crime on the move, no one wants a new red zone to appear.