police guidelines on dealing with sex workers emphasize focusing on addressing violence, human trafficking, and involvement of youth or gangs in prostitution, whereas sex involving consenting adults is not an enforcement priority. Relations between police and DTES women were strained by police shortcomings that allowed serial killer Robert Pickton to prey on the community for years before he was arrested in 2002; the VPD apologized in 2010 for its failures in apprehending him. In 2003, the Pivot Legal Society filed 50 complaints from DTES residents alleging police misconduct. An investigation by the RCMP, in which several VPD officers and the police chief failed to co-operate, found that 14 of those allegations were substantiated. In 2007, Pivot agreed to withdraw its remaining complaints, following apologies and changes to VPD policies and procedures. In 2008, the VPD implemented a crackdown on minor offences, such as illegal vending on sidewalks and jaywalking. The ticketing blitz was stopped after objections from community groups, so that residents with unpaid tickets – particularly women and sex workers – would be less afraid to approach police to report serious safety concerns. In 2010, police launched an initiative to combat violence against DTES women, that resulted in the convictions of several violent offenders. However, the level of trust toward police remains low. According to some DTES activists, "gentrification/condos and police brutality", rather than drugs, are the two worst problems in the neighbourhood. Controversies Concentration of services controversy The DTES is the site of many service offerings including social housing, health care, free meals and clothing, harm reduction for drug users, housing assistance, employment preparation, adult education, children's programs, emergency housing, arts and recreation, and legal advocacy. In 2014, the Vancouver Sun reported that there were 260 social services and housing sites in the greater DTES area, spending $360 million per year. No other Canadian city has concentrated services to this degree in one small area. Proponents of the high level of services say that it is necessary to meet the complex needs of the DTES population. For some residents, the sense of community and acceptance that they find in the DTES makes it a unique place of healing for them. The practice of locating a large number of services in the DTES has also been criticized for attracting vulnerable people to an area where drugs, crime, and disorder are entrenched. Some advocates for vulnerable populations believe that many