MLA CALLS FOR ZERO DRUG TOLERANCE AROUND SCHOOL

A bubble zone should be created around Lord Roberts School and its
annex where drug use and dealing aren't tolerated, says Lorne Mayencourt.

The Liberal MLA said he's been inundated with complaints from West End
constituents over the past few months about an increase in criminal
activity in the area, particularly in Nelson Park.

Bubble zones are used in some U.S. cities around schools. In those
cases, local district attorneys have agreed to more aggressively
pursue charges against criminals caught near schools.

Lord Roberts School is located at the northeast corner of Bidwell and
Comox streets, while the Lord Roberts annex-which caters to
kindergarten to Grade 4 students-is in Nelson Park, bounded by Nelson,
Thurlow, Comox and Bute streets.

Mayencourt could not be reached for comment, but said in a prepared
statement that parents and others are frightened by criminal activity
in Nelson Park. "There are increased incidences of park dwellers
hopped up on crystal-meth and crack and a real danger of children
coming in contact with used needles. I don't think we can wait on this
issue. We need to intervene."

Besides the bubble zone, Mayencourt wants to see a beefed-up police
presence in the area and urged that the Crown aggressively pursue
charges against people caught committing criminal activity near the
schools.

Insp. Dave Jones, the police officer responsible for downtown, said
that in the past seven months, he's heard hundreds of complaints about
criminal activity and safety concerns like discarded needles around
Nelson Park, compared to about a dozen in the previous seven years.

"People are alarmed and I take it things are worse, but police
resource-wise things haven't changed," said Jones, who supports the
bubble zone idea but is not sure how he can enforce it without more
beat police.

Jones, who has increased patrols in the West End using officers
working overtime, believes a higher fence needs to be erected around
the annex.

"The three-foot fence around the children's play area is ridiculous.
Either properly fence it or don't fence it. It just provides a holding
area for people's pets." Jones also suggests berms in Nelson Park be
flattened to make it easier to observe activity in the park.

Ian Cannon, vice principal of Lord Roberts annex, said he calls police
regularly to remove people sleeping in the school grounds.

"Since September, I've phoned the police on average three times a week
just to remove street people from the grounds before school starts,"
Cannon said.

"We try to wake them gently and we politely ask them to leave and if
they don't, we call the police and they move them on."

Cannon also supports the bubble zone concept but wants to ensure it
has broad support from West End business and community groups.

"[Mayencourt] will need to consult with the community at large. It's
more than just a Lord Roberts annex problem."

Mayencourt said he intends to meet as soon as possible with parent
advisory committees and the Lord Roberts school administration.

Debbi Lucyk, spokeswoman for parents at the Lord Roberts annex, said
she hopes the provincial Liberals will see that cuts to welfare and
other programs are creating other costs and problems in the community.
She said parents want Vancouver School Board and the parks board to
change the surface in the school and park playgrounds from cedar bark
to rubber matting, so needles can't be covered up.