The Beat

Constables Hobbs and Thouli give a group of hockey players a tour of skid row. What they encounter are the harsh realties of addiction, and crime. At a nearby rooming house, other members of the B.E.T. attempt to break up drug rooms that are popping up throughout the establishment. Hidden cameras, fortified doors and escape ropes keep the dealers one step ahead of the authorities.

It’s Christmas Eve and Sgt. Hinton’s squad are “armed with holiday spirit”. That spirit is immediately put to the test as an apparent pipe beating turns out to be a more serious case of domestic abuse. Constable Dosanjh is left to supervise the team through a long night of revelry and civil disobedience. Finally, Sgt. Steinkampf makes his triumphant return at the helm of the B.E.T.’s Squad 3.

On Welfare Wednesday, the poor and addicted can be found at the bank machines. Their monthly dose of cash is coming in, which means drug binges, overdoses and a whole host of other incidents for the area’s police force to control. Meanwhile, Sgt. Hinton films an emotional interview with a longtime Eastside resident in hopes that her story will prevent others from a life of drug abuse.

Vancouver’s booming real estate market means luxury condo buildings are popping up everywhere, even the Downtown Eastside. But how will the influx of money affect the area’s poorest residents? At another rooming house, Constables Petre and Addison set their sights on a crystal meth and illegal credit card operation. After days of diligent surveillance they get the arrests they were looking for.

New immigration rules are making it tough for the Beat Enforcement Team to crack down on an increasing number of Central American drug dealers working on skid row. Meanwhile, Constable Steverding is confronted with two sides of the drug dilemma on the Downtown Eastside: encouraging an addict to get the treatment he needs, while working with a politician for more effective regulations.

In a place where poverty and drug addiction are pervasive, suicide is a grim and unavoidable reality. So, when a series of attempts occur in the span of a few days, members of the B.E.T. are forced to balance emotion with their responsibilities as officers of the peace. Sgt. Hinton and Constable Addison get an unexpected visit from a former addict.

Suspicious activity in a Chinatown alleyway points to a large-scale drug operation being run out of a coffee shop. With patience and planning, Operation Barista goes off without a hitch, and results in the arrest of the ringleader. Meanwhile, Sgts. Hinton and Steinkampf prepare for a trip to the Far North to address aboriginal youth on the perils of crime and drug addiction.

Upon graduating from the Police Academy, Bryan Nykon gets assigned to the Downtown Eastside. When a rooming house manager gets his door kicked in, officers Hinton and Hobbs initially have him pegged as the victim. When Hobbs reviews surveillance footage, he discovers that the situation is complicated. After 10 years cooped up in an decrepit station, the Team moves into a brand-new precinct.

The Beat Enforcement Team is called to a number of situations involving First Nations residents of the Downtown Eastside, who make up an alarming proportion of the area’s homeless. At the same time, Toby continues to tour the Far North, speaking with aboriginal youth about the dangers of drug abuse. Meanwhile, the squad feels the sting of staff shortages, as new recruit Bryan Nykon, arrives.