PROFILE OF STREET KIDS 'SHOCKING'

A six-week snapshot of the work of two police units apprehending young
people at risk on Vancouver streets shows that 158 were stopped, the
youngest of them nine years old.

"It is shocking," said Sgt. Ken Frail.

More than 50 were drunk or drugged, 100 said they use drugs or alcohol, and
43 admitted to engaging in prostitution.

Though natives make up only seven per cent of B.C.'s population, they
accounted for 41 per cent of those apprehended from early June to July 15.

Eighty-five per cent of those apprehended were on Downtown Eastside streets.

Frail said 24 of those stopped were picked up three or more times during
the six weeks. One was apprehended 17 times.

"One of our frustrations is that some of these people want to be on the
streets," Frail said. "If they are using cocaine, they will run away and
be back within the hour because they need to feed their habit."

The average age of those with multiple apprehensions was 16 and all but two
were females, of whom 14 were aboriginals.

Frail said facilities that can accept young people who are drunk or drugged
are inadequate to the task.

He described one youth who swallowed capsules of cocaine when approached by
police. It was 9 1/2 hours before the officers could find the youth
appropriate care and supervision.

In the interval, they visited a hospital emergency ward and were told the
youth could not be admitted.

The officers were advised to return within 30 minutes if it appeared that
the capsules had dissolved, releasing cocaine into the system.