SHUT BARS LINKED TO DRUGS: MINISTER

Alberta may look at revoking drinking licences from bars where drugs
are sold as a way of combating violence, the province's top cop
suggested Friday.

The spate of shootings and stabbings in Calgary nightclubs in the
last two years are often connected to the drug trade, Harvey Cenaiko
said from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in St. John's, N.L.

"The trafficking of narcotics should not and cannot be condoned
within a licensed establishment," he said.

His comments came after the release of a 76-page report Wednesday by
the provincial government, which offered up many recommendations for
dealing with bar violence, including raising the legal drinking age
and staggering closing times.

But Cenaiko suggested Gaming Minister Gordon Graydon look at revoking
licences because some gang violence is related to turf protection and
selling drugs around bars.

"It was very clear from the meetings that were held over the last
year that bar owners have become aware of individuals who have been
selling drugs in their bars and they have a responsibility to tell
police," he said.

Bar owners may pick up the phone to report drug activity if they knew
they were risking their establishment's licence, he added.

However, Cenaiko also called on owners to come up with ways of
combatting violence and said that report suggestions -- such as
banning "happy hour" drink prices -- should be dealt with by the
industry itself.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
distanced itself from comments made Thursday by one of its directors,
Al Browne, that bars consider racial profiling to keep gangs out.

"CRFA would like to state categorically that statements attributed to
Mr. Browne in no way represent the opinions or positions of the
association," Western Canada vice-president Mark von Schellwitz wrote
in a letter Friday.

Browne said Friday racial profiling is inappropriate and he advocates
a system that would help establishments identify individuals
responsible for bar violence and subsequently penalize them.

"Identify the people causing the problems and then either fine them
or prevent them from coming in; develop some kind of penalty system
so the people are identified and then can't get in," he said.