Police take aim at Vancouver's entertainment district

Vancouver's downtown entertainment district on Granville Street has descended into chaos since bars were allowed to stay open later on weekends, say city police, who are planning to restore order beginning this weekend.

Deputy Chief Bob Rich says there are more than 5,000licensed liquor seats in bars and clubs in the three-block strip, and that the later closing time means more brawls for police to break up.

Rich said the department has had enough of the situation, and is going to start cracking down beginning this weekend.

He said the department is ready to spend an additional $100,000 a year on more officers to restore public order in the area.

He added that since the late openings, Granville Street has become a destination for revellers from across the Lower Mainlandespecially on weekends.

He says police have handed nearly900liquor-related tickets along the three blocks since April 2006, including:

• 310 tickets for drunkenness.
• 194 tickets for consuming liquor in a public place.
• 246 tickets for being intoxicated in a public place.
• 113 tickets for urinating in a public place.

Rich said there will be more officers on patrol and more roadblocks, addingthe department wants tougher punishment as well, including criminal convictions and higher fines.

The previous city council began extending weekend bar hours in the summer of 2003.