POLICE TO STEP UP PRESENCE DOWNTOWN

Downtown Drug Dealers And Aggressive Panhandlers Beware - The Mounties Are
Advancing

The local RCMP plans to step up its foot patrols along the west end of Leon
Avenue, surrounding streets and City Park next week. Officers issued their
first ticket under new safe streets legislation to an aggressive panhandler
last week. He was fined $115

RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon said panhandlers can make $50 to $100 a day

"I think we do a disservice to these people by giving them money," he said.
"Most often, it's used for the purchase of illegal drugs. It's like 'Don't
feed the bears.' When people do it, you're encouraging them to stay." With
spring approaching, police believe more members on the ground will prevent
a return of the troublemakers who pushed some business owners into a state
of near panic last summer

"I think we have some challenges ahead of us," McKinnon said Tuesday. "But
I think with additional resources provided to us, we'll do a much better
job this summer than last - keeping control and ensuring the downtown core
is a safe place for people to enjoy." The RCMP has been running a street
crew since February to conduct regular sweeps in the downtown core,
checking vagrants for bylaw infractions, drugs, weapons and other offences.
Many members have been redeployed from drug enforcement and other
departments - some on overtime - to help the team until staff levels are
improved. Starting next week, two downtown enforcement units, each
comprised of four regular officers and one bike patroller, will work
nine-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week

"The sweeps are random," said McKinnon. "Some days we'll have 10 members
down there at once. There could be five in the morning and five at night.
We change it up. If (vagrants) know the patterns we're working, they hide."
The city has provided funds for 10 new RCMP officers, who won't start
working in Kelowna until May. The total contingent of full-time members
working in the city detachment will be 131 by early July

Since February, police have confiscated drugs such as crystal meth and
crack, weapons and stolen bicycles. They check people for outstanding
warrants, arrest fighters for assault and watch for illegal panhandling

From a police perspective, the downtown crackdown has been successful.
Fewer people are lying or sleeping on the streets than last fall. Some have
wandered into the Mission area and Rutland, or they've left town. Many
police encounters are with addicts acting irrationally because they're high
on drugs. Others are mentally ill. Officers take them to hospital to see if
they need to be institutionalized

"That's one of our biggest problems," McKinnon said. "It's very frustrating
for our members because it's the rarest of occasions when doctors deem the
person to be mentally ill."