NO MORE MONEY FOR INJECTION SITE COPS

Money for two beat cops assigned to the city's supervised injection
site has run out.

Insp. John McKay, commander of the Citywide Enforcement Team, has not
heard whether any more money will be available to pay for two police
officers focused specifically on the site.

If McKay doesn't get word by the end of this month, the officers will
be pulled.

"As far as I know it's over at the end of the month. The officers
directed people found injecting on the street to the SIS [supervised
injection site], and if the SIS had a problem they were able to
contact those two beat officers immediately," McKay said. "Because of
the sensitivity of the SIS we weren't standing outside providing
security, but they covered situations where the site needed help
because somebody was getting out of control. We can use as many
resources as possible down here, so it's a shame."

The money for the officers came from a one-time $1.2 million grant
from the Vancouver Agreement's integrated health and safety strategy.
The Vancouver Agreement was signed by the federal, provincial and
municipal governments in 2000 as a way of coordinating money needed to
revitalize the Downtown Eastside.

Isobel Donovan, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Agreement, said the
money covered the costs of the beat officers, helped pay for the
enhanced enforcement project targeting illegal businesses and educated
injection site peer counsellors and police about the injection site.

"The proposal was for one year and the money was forwarded. There are
no further funds coming, but it's been very successful," Donovan said.

The expiry of the one-year pilot project comes as the
supervised-injection site, operated by Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority and PHS Community Services Society, prepares to extend its
opening hours from 18 to 24 hours a day during the time of the month
when welfare cheques are distributed to users.

According to research statistics released last week by the B.C. Centre
for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, the injection site averages 588 user
visits per 18-hour day. Daily visits counted in the stats are often
from the same addict. Addicts use one of 12 injection booths.

Once the user is high, they are placed in a "chill-out" room, where
they are offered counselling and, if requested, addiction services
support.

Based on the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS statistics, a user
walks through the site's doors about once every two minutes.

McKay said his officers have not been counting the number of users
walking into the facility.

"We never stood and counted what the numbers were because it really
wasn't our business and we didn't want to drive people away," McKay
said. "But once every two minutes does seem like a lot of people. Our
people haven't seen what would appear to be that level of traffic. We
certainly never saw a lineup out the door."

Clay Adams, health authority spokesman, said the authority stands by
its figures, adding there are times when several people will enter the
site at once.

The supervised injection site, on the 100-block of East Hastings
Street, costs $2 million a year to operate.