DRUG-RELATED CRIME FOCUS OF COMING POLICE TEAM

Belleville Police say they're working on a creating a new city-wide
street-crime team.

The issue was raised Tuesday at the regular meeting of the Belleville
Police Services Board.

Coun. Jack Miller, who also sits on the Belleville Business
Improvement Area board, told Chief Stephen Tanner he continues to hear
concerns about the city's downtown. He requested a community meeting
on the issue.

"We really need to start showing the stakeholders we are there, we do
care, and we want to help them out in as best a way as we can," said
Miller.

Tanner replied many of the concerns are the type that could be
addressed in the force's upcoming business plan for 2008 through 2010.
That plan is expected to be completed by early next year, he said. In
the meantime, the chief said, he's willing to participate in any
meetings on the issue.

"This is not a downtown issue; this is a zone issue," Tanner said. "We
are going to concentrate on zones throughout the city."

Statistics for 2006 show 23 per cent of police calls occurred in the
city's southwest zone. The downtown central region was next with 22
per cent, followed by 21 per cent in the northwest, 17 in the
southeast, 11 in the northeast, and six in Thurlow Ward.

Tanner said the downtown statistics shouldn't be misread: there are
three courthouses plus police headquarters in the zone, he noted. Many
charges, such as breaches of probation and other court orders, are
laid at those locations, elevating the zone's totals.

He and Insp. Mike Graham said the street-crime team concept is in
development and will cover the entire city, not just one area.

"We want to deal with the break and enters, thefts, and thefts of
vehicles," Graham said. "We're finding a lot of these thefts and
robberies are in connection with drug use."

He said the team could therefore work with officers of the Project
Longarm joint-forces drug unit, which Graham called "a great success."

Asked if a new unit's creation could strain the department's
workforce, Graham said it could.

"Obviously it's a resource issue," he said. "Our front-line guys are
so busy."

Tanner said two new officers are in police college this fall, with two
more expected to be hired in January.

The unit will be created "when staffing allows," Tanner said, with
Graham adding it will happen "hopefully within the next couple of months.

"It's an issue we treat seriously," said Graham.