Talkative former coroner quiet about top cop job

By Mike Howell-Staff writer

Former chief coroner Larry Campbell is rumoured to be considering applying to lead the city's police force when current Chief Constable Terry Blythe retires at the end of June.

Reached Wednesday in Las Vegas, where he is attending a conference on homicide, the normally straight-shooting Campbell declined to comment on the rumour. "I never like using this... but I really can't comment on that at this time. I don't think I should be commenting on that because the process [to hire a new chief] is ongoing."

His supporters were more forthcoming, however. Jim Green, former organizer of the Downtown Eastside Residents' Association, said he couldn't think of anyone better for the job.

"I'd love to see that, utterly love it," said Green, who has known Campbell since the late 1980s when they met over a matter involving a housing room fire in the Downtown Eastside.

As the Monday closing date for applicatons for the $140,000-a-year post nears, talk is swirling about possible candidates, including Campbell, an RCMP officer in Vancouver, North Vancouver and Langley for 12 years before joining the B.C. Coroner's Service.

Campbell's policing background, coupled with 20 years experience with the B.C. Coroner's Service-the last four as chief coroner-should not be overlooked by the police board, Green said. "He was the first person in a responsible position that I know of who was really demanding action about the missing women in the Downtown Eastside," said Green, who teaches anthropology at UBC.

Liz Evans, a member of the Portland Hotel Society, an advocacy group in the Downtown Eastside, said Campbell came to understand the drug problem through his job as chief coroner.

After seeing hundreds of people in the Downtown Eastside die of drug overdoses, Campbell began arguing for safe-injection sites for addicts. Since his retirement, the city has opened the controversial Health Contact Centre, a drop-in centre for addicts near the corner of Main and Hastings.

"He got sick of what he saw all the time, which was people dying from drug overdoses and people he thought were dying needless deaths," said Evans, who's worked in the Downtown Eastside for 11 years. As for Campbell's intentions, Evans is keeping mum. "I don't want to say anything because he's not saying anything. But I would encourage him to apply [for the job]."

Campbell joined the coroner's service in 1981 and worked in the Northwest Territories before returning to B.C. as the Vancouver regional coroner. He became chief coroner in 1996, replacing Vince Cain. He now operates his own consulting business, working with governments and coroners' services in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Jim Cessford, Delta's police chief, is also rumoured to be interested in the Vancouver police chief's job. Originally from Edmonton, where he was superintendent of that city's downtown division, Cessford became Delta's chief in 1995.

He told the Courier Thursday that acquaintances in the Vancouver department have encouraged him to apply for the job and said he's considered it, although he won't likely submit his name this time around. "If something came open down the road, or if they didn't get enough applications or I could help out in some way, I'd certainly do that."

Meanwhile, former Vancouver police chief Bruce Chambers, who was fired from the post in 1999, cautioned outside candidates they could have a difficult time earning the department's support. "There was definitely a significant number of people within the department who from the onset did not want an outsider," said Chambers, a former Thunder Bay police chief who's now retired and living in Port Coquitlam.

Chambers was diplomatic, though, when asked if he had any advice for the incoming chief. "I think it's an excellent police service, it's a great community and anybody who is successful would I'm sure be proud to be chief."