Independent media needs you. Join the Tyee.

The Hook: Political news, freshly caught

Worries about DTES ‘street sweep’ in lead-up to 2010 Games

A new police crackdown in the Downtown Eastside could be tantamount to a “street sweep” of HIV-infected residents in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Games.

In an open letter issued yesterday to Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association expressed concern about the effects of the VPD’s draft 2009 business plan on Vancouver’s most vulnerable populations.

The plan – which was released Jan. 21 – calls for more officers in the DTES and mandates a boost to ticketing and street checks of local residents.

“This proposal appears consistent with the effect of a street sweep in advance of the 2010 Olympics, involving mass displacement of a very HIV-infected community,” reads the letter, which was also signed by six AIDS service organizations.

The groups are concerned that a police crackdown will cause drug users to inject in back alleys rather than risk being stopped and searched on the way to a safe injection site or needle exchange.

That fear was also raised by BCCLA policy director Michael Vonn at a workshop on the Olympics, security and privacy in Victoria last week.

Yesterday's open letter expressed concerns that drug-addicted individuals – many of whom are HIV-positive – are less likely to use low-barrier health clinics in the neighbourhood.

Referencing a Vancouver police crackdown launched a few years ago, the groups argued that an increased police presence merely relocates drug activity, rather than eliminating it.

Geoff Dembicki is a staff reporter for the Hook.

Find more in:

What have we missed? What do you think? We want to know. Comment below. Keep in mind:

Do:

  • Verify facts, debunk rumours
  • Add context and background
  • Spot typos and logical fallacies
  • Highlight reporting blind spots
  • Ignore trolls
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity
  • Connect with each other

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist or homophobic language
  • Libel or defame
  • Bully or troll
  • Troll patrol. Instead, flag suspect activity.
comments powered by Disqus