CALL RENEWED FOR FULL-TIME SWAT TEAM

Winnipeg needs a full-time, heavily armed SWAT team to respond to drug
busts and other potentially dangerous searches, says the boss of the
local police union.

Loren Schinkel noted every other major Canadian city has a tactical
team dedicated to that kind of situation, while Winnipeg is taking a
big gamble by calling out its Emergency Response Unit on a
case-by-case basis.

"The reality is, with 80 per cent of the warrants executed in Winnipeg
by the drug unit, weapons are located," he said. "We're really rolling
the dice."

Speaking in the wake of the shooting of three officers late Thursday
night, the president of the Winnipeg Police Association said an
emergency response tactical unit should be in place to handle all
search warrants at suspected drug houses.

"In front-line policing, there is no such thing as a routine search
warrant in today's society," Schinkel said. "What you are dealing with
is a drug culture that is very lucrative, and people will do anything
to protect it."

Schinkel said the union has been calling for a full-time tactical unit
since 1999. However, he said, he has no indication that anything
"untoward" went on during Thursday night's raid.

Three police officers were shot late Thursday while executing a search
warrant at a home on Jubilee Avenue in Fort Rouge.

The officers remain in hospital.

About a dozen police officers entered the Jubilee home just before 11
p.m. to search for drugs. The ERU unit, which can be called in for
high-risk entries and in situations where there could be weapons, was
not utilized.

A 21-year-old man, who is known to police and believed to be tied to
the Zig Zag gang, is being charged with attempted murder.

"Any type of entry, be it defined as high-risk or be it a search
warrant, can be defined as dangerous," Schinkel said. "All you have to
do is look on a daily basis and hear about violence on the streets...
the lack of respect, the ever-increasing violence and guns.

"That's what our front-line members deal with and accept. But at end
of day, there is an onus on the WPS and citizens to have the best
resources available."

Winnipeg Police Chief Jack Ewatski said he is confident in his
officers, adding they were all properly trained and equipped for the
drug bust.

"The protocols that are put in place for the execution of these types
of warrants were followed," Ewatski said, adding police get intensive
training on how to conduct raids and protect themselves. He also said
police are seeing more guns on the street, but declined to comment
further.

"This is not the time to have a debate about gun control or any of
those issues."

Schinkel said never in the history of the union have three members
been shot in the same incident.

"They are in our thoughts and prayers," he said.