NEW VANCOUVER POLICE CHIEF GRAHAM BACKS OWEN'S 4 DRUG-PILLARS APPROACH

Vancouver's new police chief says he favours most of retiring mayor Philip
Owen's controversial "four-pillars" approach to tackling the drug problem
in the Downtown Eastside.

"The first three pillars I think are bang on, and there's ongoing
discussion about the harm-reduction strategy," Surrey RCMP Supt. Jamie
Graham said. "But yes, I support it [overall]."

The program's pillars -- prevention, treatment, enforcement and harm
reduction -- recognize that complete abstinence is not possible for many
addicts.

And Owen has come under fire from those uncomfortable with providing
Vancouver's addicts with safe-injection sites and free needles.

However, the 53-year-old Graham said he would not comment in detail on
Vancouver police matters until he was sworn into the force next month.

Simon Fraser University professor Paul Brantingham said that dealing with
the Downtown Eastside will probably be one of Graham's biggest challenges.

"Finding some way to deal with the Downtown Eastside bundle of problems,
this dominates the city's crime landscape," Brantingham said.

Another challenge Graham faces is winning the support of the rank-and-file
in the Vancouver Police Department.

Bruce Chambers, who was the department's police chief before Chief Terry
Blythe, only lasted two years of his three-year term.

But Graham said he is confident his experience will be different.

"I'm not Bruce Chambers," Graham said. "I know many, many members of the
Vancouver police."

Graham will take over from current police Chief Blythe, who is retiring
after 34 years with the department.

Graham served as executive officer of the B.C. Police Commission for two years.

He has also been head of the North Vancouver RCMP detachment.