COP REJECTS MAYOR'S DRUG POLICY

One of the Vancouver police officers whose involvement in an anti-drug
conference last weekend is under scrutiny says he joined the controversial
organization because he believes in its philosophy.

Const. Toby Hinton declined to discuss his role in the conference while
it's under review, but said that like Bob and Lynda Bentall, who formed the
International Drug Education and Awareness Society, he doesn't believe
"harm reduction" methods like safe-injection sites would solve the city's
drug crisis. Harm reduction is one of the four pillars in Mayor Philip
Owen's drug policy.

"I don't want to slam the mayor because I think that he's got a real tough
position and he's trying to do the best he can and it's just there may be,
individually, some philosophical differences," said Hinton, who, along with
Const. Al Arsenault is a vice-president of the society.

"As an individual-not as a representative of any police department-I think
[safe-injection sites] are based on fallacious logic and I think that it's
going to make Vancouver more of a cesspool than it's going to do any good.
We should be looking at getting people out of the sewer rather than making
them comfortable in their toilet bowl."

Hinton said he and Arsenault met the Bentalls a few years ago and began
volunteering their time with the society last year with the aim of setting
up the invitation-only IDEAS Symposium. The society brought in doctors and
police from Europe and the United States for the conference, held at the
Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre May 1 to 3.

The constables' participation in the conference-and that of fellow officers
Chris Graham and Gerry Wickstead-came to the attention of Owen and their
boss, Chief Terry Blythe, after allegations surfaced Tuesday that officers
used a police vehicle to pick up delegates at the airport and that one
officer used a police information computer to obtain criminal records and
post them at the conference, with the names blacked out.

Owen told the Courier he wants to know who approved the use of the Canadian
Police Information Computer and the police car. Owen, who is the chairman
of the police board, said taxpayers shouldn't be funding police officers
and the use of equipment for private functions.

The four have not been suspended and continue to work, said Det. Scott
Driemel, the department's media liaison.

"This was a private conference conducted by private people-albeit they are
police officers-but they were on their own time acting as civilians, as
individuals," Driemel said. "If there turns out there is more to it, then
the chief will act on it."

Hinton said he was disappointed the focus of the conference-which
championed treatment, prevention and enforcement over safe-injection
sites-has shifted to the role of the officers.

"I shake my head because there are big issues worth discussing here and we
end up focusing on just real small, minute details and it's all sort of
designed to throw the focus of the conference and the good topics covered
there off the rails," said Hinton, who along with Arsenault and Graham are
members of the Odd Squad, a group of Downtown Eastside officers who educate
the public on drug issues through film work and talks.

The conference was organized in partnership with the Drug Free America
Foundation, a supporter of the so-called war on drugs.

Messages left for Wickstead and the Bentalls were not returned before the
Courier's Friday deadline. Lynda Bentall-whom Hinton described as
controversial and opinionated-opposes the medical use of marijuana and
needle exchanges and supports Sweden's zero-tolerance policy on drugs.

Lynda Bentall also funds and manages the Ailanthus Achievement Centre for
Inner-City Youth on Commercial Drive. The program is "causing the potential
of fine young people to be maximized rather than being destroyed by
influences and effects of poverty, chemical dependency in the home, abuse,
neglect, cultural disorientation, weak public services and community
apathy," the society's web site says.

Bob Bentall served as chairman of the board of Bentall Corporation, a major
international real estate development and property management company with
assets of approximately $2 billion, before retiring in 2001.