former Vancouver cop who pleaded guilty last November to peddling marijuana and breaching his trust as an officer should be put behind bars, a prosecutor told Vancouver Provincial Court Thursday.

Crown prosecutor Joe Bellows told Judge Gregory Rideout during a sentencing hearing that ex-officer Peter Hodson should spend three and a half years in prison for his “well thought-out” drug scheme – which he sometimes operated while on duty. According to Bellows, Hodson intimidated and took advantage of Tyson Pappas – a self-confessed drug addict living in the Downtown Eastside – by convincing him to help sell pot on the streets.

“He was in the business of trafficking for profit . . . and he was in it for the long haul,” Bellows said.

Hodson was arrested in April 2010 after an in-depth investigation by both RCMP and VPD officer, including the set-up of 10 drug-money transactions with the help of Pappas.

During the final transaction on April 15, 2010, Hodson met with an undercover cop, who he thought was a potential client, and agreed to sell the cop a half-pound of pot every Friday for $1,500. “As long as you need it, I can get it to you,” Hodson was reported saying.

By the time he was arrested on April 21, Hodson had peddled about 28 ounces of marijuana, with a street value of $7,900, Bellows said. He was 31 years old at the time and had been working as an officer for less than five years.

In a statement issued the day he was arrested and fired, Chief Constable Jim Chu called Hodson a “rogue” officer who breached his trust as an officer.

On Thursday afternoon, a stony-faced Hodson listened as the Crown spoke about his extra-marital affairs, his “narcissistic tendencies” and how he showed little remorse for his behaviour when he was arrested.

Judge Gregory Rideout said he was concerned about Hodson’s abuse of his position as an officer. He also expressed worry that Hodson put colleaues and the community at risk by bringing drugs into a vulnerable area of the city.

Hodson’s lawyer, Vincent Michaels, said he is looking for a conditional sentence – to serve in the community rather than in custory.

“We want to bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible,” Michaels said outside the courthouse, calling the last year a “traumatic time” for Hodson.