DRUGS BEGET VIOLENCE

"By the time the Olympics come around, blood will be everywhere on the
streets."

With an influx of gangs and guns in the Lower Mainland, a former
gangster with strong ties to the underworld believes Vancouver could
be the host city for a new gang war.

"No one can stop it from happening," said "Darius," a repentant gang
member going under an alias. "Vancouver will become one of the most
rancid, violent cities."

He says the accessibility of guns and emergence of new gangs willing
to steal established drug clientele has evoked word of a turf war.

While Vancouver police concede they don't expect gun violence to ease
off anytime soon, they hope a shift in policy and new initiatives will
pay off.

Insp. Kash Heed, responsible for policing the southeast quadrant of
the city, said the Vancouver Police Department might switch to the
U.S.-style CompStat system to combat gang violence.

"It's a pro-active approach to policing that holds us accountable for
results and has had a big impact on cutting crime in New York and
L.A.," Heed said.

The new system, which will be reviewed by the VPD in mid- December,
focuses on deploying resources strategically and stepping in before
crimes happen, through intelligence gathering.

"Policing now is all about keeping up with the times. We have to move
from the traditional response-based policing," Heed said. "Anyone can
show up to a murder scene and investigate it after it's happened."

Heed is optimistic Vancouver could have the gun violence problem under
control by 2010, but not without drastic changes.

He pointed out that after a series of gang assaults between Vietnamese
and Filipino youth this summer, the police reached out the to
community and parents of the gangsters and told them further attacks
would not be tolerated.

Since then, police haven't dealt with a single case between the
two.

"Maybe we've just delayed them, but I think we've prevented a few
homicides already," he said. "At least it's a step in the right direction."

Stumbling blocks such as a weak government commitment and light drug
laws may be hindering the effort.

"Once the cases get to the legal system, it's out of our hands," said
Heed. "But let me say it this way: I wouldn't have lasted in this job
for as long as I have (27 years) if I got frustrated with the legal
system every time."

Outgoing Conservative MP Randy White agrees and says it's time to
tackle drug dealers head-on if there's any hope of getting guns off
the street.

"The gun problem is drug-related," he said. "These aren't domestic
shootings we're seeing. The only way you'll stop it is to get a handle
on the drug scene."

White said the only way to do that is by cracking down on
organized-gang's assets, providing border services with better
technology and creating a national drug strategy that works.

"That's where we have to fight it," he said. "It's the best chance we
have. We're not going to stop the guns from coming in."

Insp. Heed thinks a regional police force might be also the
answer.

"Right now, all we're doing is pushing the problem to another area,"
he said. "We really need a regional police service. Sometimes we're
not all on the same page."

Until a solution is found, the gangs will have their
way.

"Once the gears are set in motion, I don't think the police can touch
them unless something changes real quick," said Darius. "People are
going to keep dying."

TRIGGER TIDBITS

As of Sept. 2005, there were 7.1 million firearms registered in Canada:

* 6.84 million to individuals

* 236,000 to businesses

* 43,300 to public agencies