New drug zone created

by Kelly Hayes & Wayne Moore - Sep 22, 2008 CASTANET

Kelowna's downtown red zone has been expanded. The area of downtown, which is off-limits to some drug dealers and addicts, is being expanded up to, and including, the Capri Mall. The new area is known as the orange zone. Kelowna RCMP Superintendent, Bill McKinnon, says the orange zone came out of a decision from the Provincial Court. "What it's done is basically expand the red zone," says McKinnon. "I think the red zone has worked for the downtown core. Unfortunately, with the red zone, what we've done with our enforcement efforts is cause displacement." McKinnon says that what Kelowna has experienced as a result of the downtown red zone, is the same as they're finding in other major cities such as Vancouver and Calgary. "They're (criminal transients) like nomads, they just go from one community to the next until they are tossed out of that community as well. We're really not solving the problem. He says he has always been of the opinion that enforcement is not the single solution to the problem. "We need a joint approach with everyone involved in order to solve the problem."

McKinnon says the situation in the downtown core is as good as it's been in the past four or five years due to two very successful drug sweeps, however, he says it's a continual battle for police. "It's a continual program for us through enforcement. As soon as you finish, new people come in. It's something we have to keep at constantly." Last week, Richmond Avenue resident, David Post, called for a city-wide red zone after he was assaulted trying to get rid of crackheads from his neighbourhood. Post says the drug dealers have moved from the downtown red zone to his neighbourhood. He says police have to be more pro-active to keep crackheads out of city neighbourhoods.
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Ban area expands
Web posted on Monday, 22 September 2008 CHBC VIDEO

Kelowna has had a Red Zone for years. Now there's an Orange Zone in the city.