MERCHANTS FRUSTRATED WITH CRIME, DRUGS

Downtown Langley has a drug and crime problem that's on the rise, and
whether or not that has anything to do with Ethical Addictions Coffee
House, merchants want it cleaned up.

At a closed meeting held by Downtown Langley Merchants Association
Wednesday night, store owners shared stories about heroin needles plugging
up store toilets, prostitutes servicing drug dealers in back alleys, petty
theft, crack addicts harassing staff for money and people smoking marijuana
outside their front doors.

While the meeting was supposed to be focused on Ethical Addictions
attracting 'undesirable' clientele, many DLMA members concentrated on the
increasing drug and crime problems taking over all of downtown.

Senior staff of Langley RCMP were there to hear business owners' concerns,
but could offer little help.

"I don't have a magic bullet," said Supt. Cliff MacDonald. "We can't clean
up downtown ourselves. It's labour intensive for us to bust one drug
trafficker who then goes to court and is out the next day."

Despite DLMA's request for more police presence, MacDonald said there is no
budget for Mounties to start walking the beat.

"We also can't scoop someone because they're smoking a joint," said
MacDonald, who explained that the Department of Justice has made it clear
it won't proceed with possession charges. Police suggested merchants
consider purchasing video surveillance equipment.

At the meeting, some store owners were intent on pointing the finger at
Ethical Addictions as the source for downtown's problems.

Bryce Jeffery, who owns a law practice across the street from the cafe,
said the criminal element is there at Ethical Addictions, he's seen it.

"There is a sociological experiment going on there. We knew going in that
was the game plan before it opened," he said.

Next door to EA, the owners of Sunflowers Gift and Flower Shop said they
are losing customers because of the cafe.

"Most are good, but it's the littering, the pot, spitting on people, rude,
rude kids," said Anne Seifried. "I remember we were here a year ago,
talking about the coffee house. They removed the tables outside, we had
(RCMP) bike patrol and it solved the problem. Now here we are again."

EA owner John Enns told the DLMA members that he sympathizes with them
because he has all the same problems.

"There is extreme elements of drug dealing and prostitution and we have a
zero tolerance for it. If we can identify it, we deal with it," said Enns,
who has hired security five nights a week.

Enns questioned how people could accuse him of attracting the criminal
element on purpose, when his EA coffeehouse in Abbotsford doesn't share any
of these problems.

"Before we opened our coffee house (at 204 Street and Fraser Highway) we
only had to look over at the fountain to see suspicious activity," he said.
"We've lived on Eastleigh Crescent, gone to church here for 17 years, we
know the problems here."

Opus Framing and Art Supplies general manager Kalaine Devine agreed, saying
she's had break-ins before EA opened and after.

"It's not just the one way that has problems either, we just moved from
there to next to the IGA and we have crack addicts outside our door
everyday," she said. "This is not Ethical's problem, it is all our problem.
The city offers low rent and it's at the end of the bus line. This problem
will keep growing."

But Mayor Marlene Grinnell told Enns he has to do more.

"There were undesirables wanting to run his coffee shop, he took it back
from them, but they may have people wanting to take advantage of Mr. Enns
again," Grinnell said.

She urged all the merchants to reclaim their turf, watch their front doors,
back doors and their neighbours in hopes of pushing problem people out.

"The sooner the better or people will perceive that the casino brought
these problems in," she said.

DLMA chair Evan Williams, who organized the forum, emphasized that action
will be taken.

"This meeting isn't just 'window dressing. There are actions we can do
collectively . . . Ten years ago downtown was nothing. We (the DLMA and its
members) made it inviting, it's our living room," Williams said.

DLMA members suggested hiring a bike security patrol for the area and/or
have merchants set up a volunteer patrol, letting police know of illegal
activity.