POLICE CHIEF DEFENDS $5-MILLION BUDGET OVERRUN

'Citywide Enforcement Addressed' Despite A Crisis Caused By The
Shortage Of Officers

Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham came out with guns blazing Friday
in a bid to defend a $5-million budget overrun by the police
department this year, saying it was the only way to provide minimum
levels of policing in the city.

"Make no mistake about it -- we have a crisis in Vancouver caused by
the shortage of police officers," Graham told reporters. The money
went toward high-priority policing initiatives and overtime payments
to police officers, he said.

"I will never compromise the safety of Vancouver citizens to save
money, or for any other reason."

Saying he accepted full responsibility for the overrun, Graham said
his department will be releasing a "very startling" report within the
next couple of months that will show just how bad the shortage crisis
is.

"But I can tell you now that we're working with the same number of
officers we had 10 years ago -- a number that is woefully inadequate
as the demand for police services continues to grow."

The city has a total of 1,124 police officers, but the Vancouver
Police Department says this number is not adequate to police the
one-million-plus population of the city during the day and at night at
entertainment spots. With insufficient officers to put on the street,
Graham said, officers are paid overtime, at twice the straight rate,
to fill the void.

He would not say how many more officers are needed, except that a
police staffing report to be put before city council soon, together
with a strategic plan, will show the "numbers are substantial."

Compared to other cities in Canada, he said, the VPD is "one of the
worst" in terms of the ratio of civilians to police officers.

"With the funding I'm provided, I cannot ... provide the basics of
policing services that the city requires," he said, adding that the
VPD is being fiscally responsible by using methods to maximize the
effectiveness of its current resources. He said just over 90 per cent
of the police budget goes to paying salaries and benefits, leaving
little for discretionary spending.

He attributed the consistent budget overruns over the years to being
underfunded by $2-million a year.

Graham defended the city-wide enforcement project aimed at dismantling
the open drug market in the downtown core and at Hastings and Main
streets. The VPD went ahead with the crackdown on drug-dealing in
April 2003, despite the city's refusal to pay for the initiative.

"These are difficult decisions to make. I will not leave the city
unsafe. We have very real problem in this city that cannot be
addressed by the number of cops I've got right now.

"We put together teams that addressed the city-wide enforcement that
went beyond the funding that was provided.

"We have crews of police officers that are attacking the gun and the
gang problem in Downtown Vancouver that are unfunded. [ Those ] are
simply crucial -- we can't allow the kind of violence that we've been
experiencing," he said.

The VPD is still committed to the city-wide enforcement plan, he said.
"We created a level of safety in the Downtown Eastside that they not
seen for years. We're not giving that up."

The VPD goes before council on Tuesday to discuss the overrun.