RCMP ROLE IN INJECTION SITE STUDIES DRAWS FIRE

The Pivot Legal Society has asked federal auditor general Sheila
Fraser to examine whether the RCMP exceeded its law-enforcement
mandate by commissioning studies into Vancouver's supervised injection
site.

Pivot lawyer and spokesman Doug King yesterday revealed RCMP e-mails
indicating the national police force commissioned reports researching
Insite.

"The RCMP Act gave the RCMP a mandate to act as peace officers for the
citizens of Canada. Using public funds entrusted to them to fund a
cynical critique of health-based research clearly does not fall within
this mandate," King said.

RCMP E Division spokeswoman Annie Linteau confirmed the RCMP paid for
the four studies. "We do research on a regular basis on a variety of
topics and issues. So this is no different," she said.

One of the reports paid for by the RCMP was written by anti-harm
reduction activist Colin Mangham. Federal Health Minister Tony Clement
referred to Mangham's report when he argued academic research into
supervised injection sites was deeply divided.

Mangham's report found Insite responsible for "little or no reduction
in transmission of blood-borne diseases or public disorder, no impact
on overdose deaths in Vancouver."

One e-mail, written by then-RCMP Const. Chuck Doucette, states: "Dr.
Mangham's report has now been published. This e-mail contains a link
to the web page for the Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice and
to his report. As per our request, the report has no reference to the
RCMP."

Linteau confirmed the RCMP paid $10,000 for that report and $5,000 for
another. She could not say how much the RCMP paid for the other two
reports.

Doucette left the RCMP in July 2007 and now is the vice-president of
the Drug Prevention Network of Canada, which opposes Insite and harm
reduction as a primary method to limit the damage of illegal drug use.