DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS SUFFER FROM DRUG BAZAAR

It is disgraceful city councillors were so easily influenced by a mere two
dozen disruptive professional protesters (Council rejects drug crackdown,
April 9). Why can't council strain to hear the quiet majority, the
thousands of hard-working, law-abiding Downtown Eastside residents who
suffer daily from the area's brazenly open and violent drug bazaar?

Give your collective heads a shake, councillors: You're taking advice from
the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, a vocal special interest group
representing a small fraction of Downtown Eastside residents, the vast
majority of whom yearn for peace and security.

Heather Hall, Vancouver

Kudos to Police Chief Jamie Graham for the increased police enforcement in
the Downtown Eastside. Why Vancouver city council does not listen to the
police professionals who deal with people on a daily basis is hard to
understand.

Vancouver citizens should be ashamed of their city and the ever-increasing
drug and crime problems. I live on the North Shore and hardly ever venture
into Vancouver any more, so the merchants there do not benefit from my
business. The last thing I would ever do is take visitors to downtown
Vancouver, something we used to do with great pride.

Kathleen Stringer, North Vancouver