40 MORE POLICE TO HIT STREETS

Vancouver police Chief Bruce Chambers had reason to be happy yesterday
as he toured the tough streets of the downtown east side.

City council had just approved a plan to put 40 more officers on the
problem-plagued streets in the Hastings corridor, Gastown and
Chinatown areas.

And residents he talked to liked the idea of an increasing police to
combat non-stop drug dealing.

"This is fantastic; this has been a long time in coming," said a man
who identified himself as James K-M, 44, who lives in a condo complex
at Carrall and Cordova.

With a community policing trailer at Pigeon Park directly beside one
of the city's most active drug-dealing spots, police on horses
patrolling alleyways and beat cops rousting suspected drug dealers,
K-M said he hopes the initiatives across from his home work.

"They try to sell crack to my 14-year-old. We should be able to walk
the streets safely without people trying to sell us drugs."

Last week police rounded up 70 suspected crack dealers in the downtown
east side, many of them Honduran nationals. Since then another 18 have
been charged with dealing rock-cocaine, and more charges are expected.

Chambers said: "Hopefully we'll come up with a mix of strategies. It's
not going to be a quick fix."

He also said the extra officers will be put right out on the street to
walk the beat. "The police presence down here makes a significant
difference," he said.

To get more police on the streets of the downtown east side will cost
$7.2 million over the next three years. It is to be financed jointly
by the city and a reallocation of $3.6 million in the existing police
budget.

The city plans to raise property taxes by one per cent to cover its
share of the extra expenses.

"This initiative, along with the others contained in the Downtown East
side Revitalization Strategy, shows a strong commitment by the city to
continue doing our part to improve the quality of life in that
neighbourhood," said Mayor Philip Owen.

Council is also looking at other initiatives to control the drug
trade, including business closures from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. in the area.

Police believe some businesses operating through the night are
directly involved in selling drugs.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry