CBC

Police drug crackdown illegal, says advocacy group

WebPosted Nov 5 2004 02:56 PM PST

VANCOUVER - A police watchdog group says the Vancouver Police Department may have broken the law with its city-wide enforcement crackdown on the drug trade in the Downtown Eastside.

The Pivot Legal Society says the VPD may have violated the Police Act, by going ahead without the permission of city council.

Earlier this year, police had asked council for $2.3 million to fund the initiative - but council refused.

But police created the city-wide enforcement team anyway, pulling officers out of other districts and drawing cash from its overtime budget.

Now the department is more than $5 million overbudget.

    * RELATED Police chief grilled over spending

Pivot spokesperson John Richardson has been a vocal critic of the police crackdown. And now he says it appears that police broke the law.

"Section 27.6 of the Police Act states unless the council otherwise approves, a municipal police board must not make an expenditure, or enter into an expenditure that is not specified in the police board budget and approved by council."

    * LINK: Section 27 of the Police Act

But Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham denies he went ahead without council's permission. And he says as chief, he has the authority to put police resources where he think's they're needed most.

He says the Downtown Eastside was a "community in chaos" - and that residents of the neighborhood are grateful that the police took action.

"You cannot stand on a street corner down there - at least I can't - without someone coming up and shaking my hand and thanking us for giving their community back."

But Richardson says the bottom line is that the department wanted to put the team in place - and spent the money without the permission of council.