KASH HEEDS CALL TO NEW POSTING

Some of the Vancouver police department's biggest critics are questioning
Chief Jamie Graham's decision to move the city's top drug cop to a new post.

Insp. Kash Heed, who was in charge of the drug-vice section for almost
three years, has been moved to the position of commander of the southeast
quadrant of the city-a move that has rankled a drug addict advocacy
organization, a marijuana crusader and a group that campaigns for human
rights in the Downtown Eastside.

"That's too bad," said Marc Emery, the self-proclaimed Prince of Pot and
president of the B.C. Marijuana Party. "I never shook the guy's hand, but
strangely enough, I always had a weird admiration for somebody who came out
against the drug war while working as head of [the drug squad]."

During his post, the 47-year-old Heed called for the decriminalization of
marijuana and for addicts to be treated through the medical system, instead
of being jailed. He also criticized the federal government for spending a
"pathetic" six per cent of its drug strategy budget on reducing the demand
for drugs, and 94 per cent on stopping the supply.

"The increased efforts that we have made to stem the flow [of drugs] do not
appear to have raised the price, lowered the purity or discouraged the
purchase or use of drugs," Heed told a crowd at a recent Lower Mainland
Municipal Association luncheon.

Emery noted that Heed's push for decriminalizing marijuana is in sharp
contrast to the chief's view that marijuana is a "gateway drug" to harder
narcotics.

"The police department wants a solid warrior, they want a warrior that
speaks the propaganda as well as carries out orders," Emery said. "Kash
Heed certainly carried out orders, but he didn't bring the propaganda along."

Reached at a police chiefs' meeting in Kelowna Thursday, Graham rejected
suggestions Heed's views contributed to the transfer. He said Heed was
moved after the recent appointment of four deputy chiefs left vacancies in
other areas. As commander of the southeast quadrant, he replaces Max
Chalmers, one of the new deputies. Rollie Woods is now in charge of the
drug-vice section, with Insp. Dave Nelmes likely to take over in the new year.

"Being an outstanding commander in charge of the drug-vice unit is
important, but I need people now that will gain further experience in other
areas," Graham said, "so that when they move up to the executive level,
they'll be able to be even more beneficial to the organization.

"Kash is a very articulate, very bright guy and he has a wonderful future
in policing."

Although Ann Livingston, project coordinator for the Vancouver Area Network
of Drug Users, didn't agree with recent police drug sweeps of the Downtown
Eastside, she was disappointed to learn of Heed's transfer.

Livingston said Heed has a clear understanding of the medical problems
facing drug addicts, noting he supported opening a supervised injection
site, despite hard-line views of other cops. She compared Heed to the late
Gil Puder, a Vancouver cop who railed against his own department for
aggressively arresting "hypes, junkies or druggies" without having any
sympathy for addicts.

John Richardson, executive director of Pivot Legal Society, described Heed
as a "forward-thinking" cop, saying it's a shame that he's been transferred.

That's a rare compliment, considering Pivot handed over more than 50
complaints alleging police misconduct to the Office of the Police Complaint
Commissioner in June.

Richardson recalled that Heed was a supporter of Pivot's "know your rights
cards" for drug addicts being arrested by police-an initiative the
department suggested would erode a sense of cooperation between the public
and police.

"He won my heart then; no other police officer has come up to me and said
that," Richardson said.

Heed told the Courier he's flattered by the support from Richardson and
others, but refused to speculate on whether he was transferred because of
his views on drugs.

"I'm not sure the rationale to move people around-I wasn't privy to that.
It was a decision made by the executive."

He admits, however, that other officers in his department and the RCMP have
criticized him for what he calls "putting a face on the addicted user."

"I don't back away from being outspoken. I don't back away from tackling
difficult issues facing policing."

Though he's been criticized for his views on liberalizing drug laws, Heed
is quick to point out that the drug squad recorded a record-breaking number
of arrests and seizures last year.

This year, the squad has already surpassed those numbers. From January to
August, the squad made 613 arrests, resulting in 852 charges, and seized $2
million in cash.

Drug squad investigators have also busted 250 marijuana grow-ops and
recovered 32 kilograms of cocaine. The statistics don't include the drug's
squad recent seizure of $6 million worth of ecstasy from an East Side house.

"I've been criticized by people because I don't take the traditional view
of incarcerating everyone that's involved in the illegal drug industry, but
what I say to people-and it kind of takes any momentum away from their
statement-is look at my performance on the enforcement part of it."

Heed's new post means he will be working in a community that has the
highest concentration of Indo-Canadians in Vancouver. An Indo-Canadian
himself, the 25-year cop is looking forward to addressing problems such as
gang violence.

"You can place me anywhere, and I'll do the best I can."