VETERAN MEAN STREETS COP CALLING IT A CAREER

A few years ago, longtime Downtown Eastside cop Ken Frail thought he'd
reached the burnout point.

He was working in Canada's poorest postal code, where drug dealing and
street crime are rampant.

"I asked for a transfer," said the 53-year-old Frail. "But it was
probably six weeks after that, that a lump developed on my throat and
I realized I had lymphoma."

The diagnosis rocked him and his family, but through a series of
treatments, Frail is confident the tumour is gone. A visit to his
doctor last week confirmed his optimistic outlook. It's not a setback
he likes to dwell on, only saying "last year was a hard year for me."

His battle with cancer, coupled with his 28 years on the job, caused
him to consider retiring last fall. But then Insp. Bob Rolls,
commander of the district that includes the Downtown Eastside, called
Frail with a job offer.

"It was an absolute natural for him, so when I called him up, he was
thrilled," Rolls said. "He took about two seconds to decide."

Rolls wanted Frail to manage 100 officers, from a variety of squads,
for a crackdown on Downtown Eastside hotels, pubs and pawn shops
involved in drug dealing and other illegal activity.

Project Lucille, as it was dubbed, culminated June 23 with the arrest
of 29 people on more than 40 charges. Police targeted 10 licensed
premises and 10 pawn shops, corner stores and one grocery store.

Police forwarded their evidence to the city's legal department, and
expect several of the businesses to lose either their liquor or
business licences, or both.

Lucille was Frail's final project before he retires in November and it
brings to a close a career focused on solving alcohol and drug-related
problems in the Downtown Eastside.

Last fall, Frail developed an overdose policy that now sees police
only respond to fatal drug overdoses, or if public safety is endangered.

It's the only policy of its kind in Canada, created to quell fears of
drug addicts who believe that a 911 call to get help for themselves,
or a friend who has overdosed, could lead to an arrest if police
accompany emergency medical personnel to a call.

Four years ago, Frail also led the charge to have rice alcohol removed
from stores to decrease the number of drunks-and ensuing violence-in
the Downtown Eastside.

"It was the scourge of the Downtown Eastside for about 18 years, and
many people have tried to get it out," he said. The provincial
government eventually agreed to his request.

Over the years, Frail has worked with many agencies in the
neighbourhood, including the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities
Society and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.

Ann Livingston, project coordinator for VANDU, said she may not have
always agreed with Frail-led police enforcement projects in the
Downtown Eastside, but acknowledged he was fair.

"He doesn't lie-let's put it that way," Livingston said. "He knows
what he wants, and he has earned the respect of people down here that
don't always agree with the cops."

Judy McGuire, executive director of DEYAS, said Frail is a big
supporter of community groups and cares about people in the
neighbourhood. Once he makes a commitment to an issue, he's dogged in
seeing it through, McGuire said.

She said Frail has been known to march drug addicts and low-level
dealers into DEYAS' offices to meet with drug and alcohol
counsellors-instead of recommending charges against them.

"We've worked with Ken over the years and I'm always impressed by his
dedication, his caring, and certainly the things that he's
accomplished have been notable," she said.

Despite his hard work, Frail said his biggest ongoing challenge has
been the politics that has prevented or delayed immediate change. The
push to get rice alcohol removed-18 years in the running-is a good
example, he said.

"Policemen like to see things happen quickly," he said, noting the
frustration only keeps him pushing harder. "The Downtown Eastside is
probably the most addictive place to work for people who really want
to make a change. But it's probably got the greatest amount of
challenge, the greatest amount of controversy-and I love it."