MAYORAL CONTENDERS DON'T IMPRESS POLICE

Union Not Endorsing Either Candidate, But Sullivan A 'Disappointment'

Vancouver mayoral candidate Sam Sullivan hasn't made any friends in
the Vancouver police force in this election campaign.

The head of Vancouver's police union says the Non-Partisan
Association contender doesn't seem to understand policing, with his
call to put more police on the streets by finding efficiencies and
taking people off special squads.

And, says Tom Stamatakis, Sullivan's controversial actions in
providing money to Vancouver drug users for drug buys have raised
questions about his ability to lead the police board and made
policing more difficult for officers on patrol.

Firing back in his own defence, Sullivan says the police appear to
have tolerated open drug use themselves, that the public and not the
police union will decide whether he's fit to sit on the police board,
and that it's his responsibility to take a hard look at whether
police are using their money wisely.

"When open drug dealing takes place 50 feet from a police station,
that appears to some people that it's police condoning this
behaviour," said Sullivan. "There is only one group of people that
will decide whether I should be on the police board and that is the public."

Stamatakis said the police union is not going to endorse anyone in
the election. But he made it clear in a lengthy interview that
officers, who discuss election issues at union meetings, find
Sullivan's statements and behaviour problematic.

He said Sullivan's past record of providing money to users provoked
surprise and disappointment among the city's officers.

"People that hold public office have a responsibility to consider the
impact of their actions and the words they use," said Stamatakis.
"When they don't, it makes the job of the average police officer on
the street much more difficult."

He also suggested Sullivan's past admissions that he has bought drugs
for users call into question his suitability to lead the police board.

Stamatakis also criticized Sullivan's solutions for improving
policing, which he said don't take current realities into account.

Sullivan has said that if elected, he would ask the police to put a
larger proportion of its approximately 1,200 officers on the street.
He would also ask them to try to pay for the cost of hiring extra
police by finding efficiencies in their current operations.

"Frankly, it's irresponsible to make comments like that without
making them in context," said Stamatakis. "My challenge to him is,
'You point out where you think you can gain from these efficiencies.' "

He said police have been required by provincial government
legislation and city initiatives to create new specialized squads for
everything from sexual assault to graffiti, while the number of
authorized officers hasn't changed in 10 years prior to this one.

"When we've created one of these new units, the resources have come
from patrol."