New Westminster Downtown Residents Association, October 1998
Downtown Residents Association
In October, police across the Lower Mainland arrested more than
100 drug dealers, which has solved the immediate problem of
crack dealing in downtown New West: drug
activity is way down. Over the longer term, though, the drug dealers
and drug users will probably start coming back.
What the city's been doing over the last year to combat the problem, as
described by councillor Bob Osterman at our October 29 meeting:
- Asking provincial government to decentralize
needle exchange and methadone programs.
- Nuisance and panhandling bylaw.
- Asking federal government to deport refugee claimants convicted of
drug dealing. With the current backlog, there's a three-year
waiting list to review refugee claims.
- Putting extra $200,000 into police budget for the rest of the year.
- Police station at former Cobblestone Gallery location, by mid-December.
It'll be operated 24 hours a day; the drug squad will operate out of there.
He also mentioned that a lot of the New Westminster police officers are starting
to take the problem personally: they're getting annoyed with the audacity of
the drug dealers.
John Locke, from the Business Improvement Association, gave a brief update
on their activities. (The BIA's been grappling with the problem for
several months already. In particular, they're applying for a grant to
install a video surveillance system.)
Our next meeting will be held in January, most likely on a Tuesday or
Wednesday evening. We'll be meeting at the Holy Trinity Memorial Hall,
514 Carnarvon St., at 7:30 pm. If you'd like to join the association,
you can send e-mail to
richmond@intergate.bc.ca.
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Last updated 29 October 1998