POLICE MULL DRUG SQUAD REQUEST

A drug squad dedicated to tackling downtown drug trafficking wouldn't
necessarily solve the bigger problem, according to Ottawa Police
representatives.

The comments were made after Rideau-Vanier Coun. Georges Bedard sent a
letter to Ottawa Police Chief Vince Bevan asking for a dedicated
downtown drug unit. According to Bedard, the drug trade in his ward,
and downtown, has grown much worse.

Police spokesperson Cst. Steve Desjourdy said the chief has received
Bedard's request.

Desjourdy said a downtown drug unit wouldn't necessarily solve the
issue because police need to focus on the bigger picture. He said
drug-related crime is not limited to the downtown area.

"Because there's something going on there [in centre of the city]
doesn't mean there's not something going on somewhere else," Desjourdy
said.

The concerns outlined in the letter are not new to police, Desjourdy
noted, adding that is one of the reasons why the drug unit doubled its
numbers and received 10 additional officers two months ago.

"In the near future we will be seeing positive benefits of this
expansion."

According to Desjourdy, focusing efforts on the downtown could cause
police to miss the root of the drug trafficking problem. He explained
grow operations are often set up in suburban areas, not downtown
buildings. Meanwhile, people using drugs in one area might be coming
from another.

Part of the drug problem is a social problem, so police also work with
community groups to tackle underlying issues that perpetuate the drug
trade.

Desjourdy added the mandate of the drug unit is to look at the entire
problem, including organized drugs, grow operations, street level
dealers and users.

Bedard insisted the drug problem downtown has plainly grown "out of
hand." "I think it's fairly obvious that my ward and Somerset ward -
both downtown wards - have the highest concentration of criminal
activity," he said, adding that means police in his community are busy
working on different investigations and dealing with crime on a
constant regular basis.

Bedard said he's aligned with the shelters, community groups, and
members of the business community to battle the problem. "If I simply
asked by myself, I don't think that there would necessarily be enough
interest from the police chief's point of view," he said.

He said there are drug deals taking place in plain sight on the
streets and it takes months to get police to conduct a sweep in
affected areas. He added it also takes police months to bust crack
houses.

Bedard said the problem is so acute, it seems the dealers aren't even
hiding their activities anymore. "They live through the sweep and then
it's back to business as usual because they know that... [police] won't
be back for a while."

It's the willingness of the community to speak out about the problem
that has prompted the councillor to tackle the issue now that it has,
as he described, gotten out of hand.

Desjourdy said although some dealers and users live through the drug
sweeps, there are still officers on the roads enforcing laws,
underlying projects on the go, and neighbourhood and community
policing officers tackling the problem in various ways.

He said police will continue to work with the councillor and the
community.

"It's a focus for the newly expanded drug unit"

Meanwhile Bedard said he plans to continue applying pressure for a
dedicated unit and, if necessary, he'll go the Police Services Board
to appeal his case. But he said he hopes he'll get a positive response
from the police chief instead.