CITIZENS APPALLED BY STREET DISORDER

Mayor Sullivan Gets An E-Mailful On Drug Users, Panhandlers, Binners

Vancouver citizens are appalled by the swelling number of drug users,
panhandlers and binners on their streets -- and they want something
done about it.

Some 2,500 people gave Mayor Sam Sullivan an e-mail earful, saying
they feel under siege because of growing public disorder.

In Sullivan's website survey, started last September and released
yesterday, 84 per cent felt the public blight has increased over the
past five years. Four out of every five people said Vancouver is
losing its reputation as the world's most livable city. And
two-thirds want immediate action.

The top three concerns were panhandling, open drug use and sleeping
in public places.

People complained about:

- - Being hassled by aggressive beggars;

- - Seeing open drug use;

- - Stepping over people sleeping in doorways or in public parks;

- - Dodging garbage and litter;

- - Smelling urine or feces in public places.

People said they don't feel safe, and are concerned about the lack of
pride in the city, but they also want a caring solution.

"People are very passionate about this issue," Sullivan told The
Province. "They're frustrated. They believe we've been going in the
wrong direction, and they want results.

"Generally, people think things are getting worse, not better."

Sullivan said he wants to put more police on street patrol. And he
said he supports a "broken-window" approach to fighting public
disorder like littering, jaywalking and nuisance behaviour. The idea
is to fix things -- such as broken windows -- when they occur, which
in theory, leads to more civic pride and fewer social problems.

Sullivan said he will use the 2010 Olympics to get senior government
support for his plan, which he hopes to unveil in the near future.

But some of his political opponents have criticized the survey as
being unscientific. Vision Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal hopes the
survey won't affect city policy.

"I think it's an interesting exercise in public opinion but it's not
scientific," she said last night. "I hope the mayor doesn't use this
as a reason to divert resources that could be used for housing and
other social services into enforcement of jaywalking, for instance."

Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd said throwing the
book at panhandlers won't solve the problem.

"Some of these are actually big-ticket problems," said Boyd. "The
little things cost a lot of money, and are quite complex. The
homeless problem began in the '70s, because of [the]
deinstitutionalization" of mental hospitals.

Homeless and mentally ill people need supportive housing, not
prosecution, he said, adding that the growing gap between the rich
and poor is worsening the problem.

"If you think Vancouver's going downhill, you don't get that opinion
if you drive in Kerrisdale," said Boyd.

A report on crime in B.C. published last week blames drug use, mental
disorder, childhood problems and poverty lifestyles.

"We've ranked ninth out of 10 provinces for the incidence of personal
property crime," said Tim McEwan, executive director of the B.C.
Progress Board, which monitors B.C. trends.

The report called for a criminal-justice task force to change the
criminal justice system.