RIGHTS GROUP FAULTS VANCOUVER FOR DRUG CRACKDOWN

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A police crackdown on drug dealers in
downtown Vancouver is causing more harm than good for the neighborhood's
AIDS and hepatitis epidemic, a Human Rights Watch report says, asserting
that addicts are being driven away from needle-exchange programs and other
services.

Called Operation Torpedo, the crackdown has gotten some pushers off the
streets, "but at a high cost," said the report issued Wednesday by the New
York-based rights group. Its findings were echoed by health-care workers
and addicts in the city, known for progressive drug policies.

"The flouting of due process in this crackdown is shocking for a country
with Canada's strong commitment to human rights," said Joanne Csete,
director of the HIV/AIDS Program of Human Rights Watch. "Vancouver risks
making its HIV/AIDS crisis much worse and it's already the worst on the
continent."

Illegal searches and arrests, excessive force, and other abuses committed
by police on addicts not accused of dealing drugs have worsened the already
dire situation in the 15-block neighborhood on Vancouver's east side, which
is frequented by more than 5,000 addicts, the report said.

Vancouver police denied officers abuse their power, saying the crackdown is
aimed at dealers, not users, with a goal of ridding the area of pushers
while keeping addicts near the services they need.

"This whole report lacks credibility," Inspector Doug LePard said Wednesday.

"There's no reason for addicts to be worried," he said. "We're focusing on
disorder and we're focusing on traffickers." The problem seems ironic for
Vancouver, a city known for its magnificent mountain and ocean vistas and
laid-back lifestyle, and its relaxed policies for drug addicts.

More than 2.5 million needles are handed out to addicts each year in the
city's east end, a warren of dilapidated buildings and filthy streets
believed to be the stalking ground of a suspected serial killer accused of
murdering at least 15 prostitutes and drug addicts.

Mayor Larry Campbell, a former police officer and coroner, won last year's
election on a platform that included the promise of safe injection sites as
part of a "four pillar" drug policy involving treatment, prevention, harm
reduction, and enforcement.