DRUG CLEANUP PUTS CRIMP IN THIEVES' ACTION

Police Recover Stolen Property On Downtown Eastside

A crackdown on drug dealers in the Downtown Eastside is making it much
harder for crooks to sell stolen goods in the area, says the officer in
charge of the operation.

Inspector Doug LePard told a news conference Thursday that police have
seized a lot of stolen property since the three-month operation began April
7, including stolen food that had been resold to stores and restaurants in
the area.

He said earlier this week that the crackdown has also resulted in a
noticeable decline in drug activity and serious crime in the area.

"One of our strategies is to interrupt the flow of stolen property that's
converted to cash," said LePard.

"The ease with which thieves could bring stolen property to the Downtown
Eastside and convert it to cash for drugs not only contributes to the
problems in the area, but affects all of us, because these thefts occur
everywhere in the city. Since we began April 7, our members have actively
interrupted this traffic. We've made a wide variety of seizures, ranging
from clothing to passports and credit cards, construction equipment, home
and car stereos, computer equipment, food and other articles. And we've
identified a lot of this property."

LePard cited one instance last Saturday in which a man riding a $1,500
mountain bike was stopped in the Downtown Eastside. The bike had been
stolen from Vancouver General Hospital.

On Monday two men were stopped in the 100-block East Hastings. They had
personal belongings that had been stolen in a violent purse-snatching.

"Because of the lack of police presence in the area, it [selling stolen
property in the area] was relatively unchecked," added LePard.

"Now it's not unchecked and is much more difficult for them to do that. And
that's our objective. The more difficult we can make it for them to convert
stolen property to cash, the less likely they are to buy drugs with it, the
less likely they are to steal in the first place."

Inspector Bob Taylor, who is in charge of the property crime unit, said
stolen food is often re-sold to stores and restaurants in the Downtown
Eastside to get money for drugs. That also has diminished, added Taylor.

"We were acting on observations of shoplifters repeatedly stealing food
from stores all over the Lower Mainland and selling the food for cash at
premises in the Downtown Eastside. The offenders were then seen buying and
smoking crack. To determine the scope of this issue, an undercover officer
offered food, including cheese and ham, for sale at a number of businesses.
The officer deliberately gave the impression that the food items were
stolen. Over the course of two hours, the officer sold to three restaurants
and one store."

Taylor declined to name the stores, but said police will be talking with
city staff about licence and health issues.

"We will be continuing with this type of sting investigation and recommend
that businesses not buy products from unknown sources."

Sergeant Doug Fisher of the police anti-fencing unit said that one corner
store had 317 kilograms of stolen cheese for sale, each in one-pound
packages. "It was stolen a pound at a time."

He said the store also had about $6,000 worth of stolen goods, including
shampoo and canned foods.

Taylor also noted that a man was arrested after a series of break-ins on
boats in the harbour. He said the man, believed to be addicted to cocaine
and a frequent visitor to the Downtown Eastside, has had 35 criminal
convictions over the past 12 years, mainly for theft.

LePard said this week that 98 have been arrested on trafficking charges,
about half the number of dealers they targeted in an undercover operation.

Police have arrest warrants out for 162 people on 234 trafficking charges
after an undercover operation that began March 18 and ended April 4.

On April 7, they began serving arrest warrants on the drug purchases made
during the undercover investigation.

LePard also said only a few drug dealers have returned to the Downtown
Eastside since the crackdown began and many addicts are thankful for the
increased police presence.