SKYTRAIN TO HAVE ARMED POLICE FORCE

Victoria Announces That The New Force Will Have Full Powers Of Arrest To
Combat The Drug Dealing That Has Plagued The System

Victoria -- A new transit police force will be created for SkyTrain,
Attorney General Andrew Petter announced Monday.

"When you have a transportation corridor like SkyTrain, it can become not
only a corridor for commuters but a corridor for crime," Petter said.

The new force will carry firearms and will include members of municipal
forces and RCMP officers seconded from communities along the route, and
some members of the existing TransLink security force.

The new force will have "the full powers of arrest, the full powers to
enforce drug laws and other laws that currently aren't available to
existing SkyTrain security personnel," Petter said

Municipalities along the route have complained that SkyTrain stations have
become a magnet for drug dealers and a special task force recommended last
year that SkyTrain get a designated police force of its own, with the full
powers of a regular police force but financed by TransLink.

But representatives of municipal police forces along the route called
instead for a dedicated force made up of members of existing police forces
rather than one reporting to the corporation.

"There is always that irreconcilable conflict between the corporate and the
public interest," Vancouver police Inspector Bob Taylor said Monday, while
welcoming Petter's announcement.

The new police force will be set up with its own governing body. In the
meantime, a task force will be set up to work out the details of how the
line will be policed, Petter said.

"I expect they will be visible, I suspect they will be there as a police
presence that people can see and rely upon."

Petter said the new force will be financed by TransLink, which currently
spends about $5 million annually on security and would have been spending
more anyway with the expansion now being constructed.

But Larry Ward, TransLink's senior vice president of planning and service
contracts, questioned whether TransLink could be required to pay for the
cost of the force.

"The last time I looked at it, TransLink had a board of directors that made
decisions on what they would spend money on," Ward said.

But TransLink is ready to participate in the task force, even though so far
the only information they have is the press release.

"Without seeing the details, one can't comment on how much it will cost
more than we are paying now, what value there will be to it and what we
would be prepared to pay for it."

The new force is expected to be in operation by the time the SkyTrain
expansion is complete.

Burnaby councillor Doug Evans welcomed the news Monday, noting that another
15 drug arrests were made at the Metrotown station by RCMP officers over
the past two weeks.

"I think SkyTrain has to be responsible for its stations and the people who
hang around them," Evans said.

SkyTrain goes through four municipalities. Two more will be added when the
current expansions are complete.

TransLink currently employs about 40 special constables -- half of them
ex-police officers -- who are equipped with batons and pepper spray, but
not guns. They made 873 arrests last year -- for offences ranging from
assault, robbery, drunkenness and fare evasion -- but cannot make arrests
for drug offences or outstanding warrants.

Petter said he expects most of the special constables would continue to be
employed by the new force, either by being upgraded to police officers or
continuing on as fare enforcement officers. He does not expect any job losses.