STATS SHOW POLICING MORE EFFECTIVE, MOUNTIES SAY

A 40 per cent increase in the number of drug-related crimes is an
indication of better police work and not a rise in drug problems in
Campbell River, reports the local RCMP inspector.

Campbell River RCMP Inspector Larry Stright said the year-to-date crime
statistics released this week show a rise in drug crimes in the Campbell
River area - 180 offences so far this year. But an increasing crack down on
drugs in the community is behind the statistical rise.

"This figure represents self-generated work by the members and should not
be taken as a barometer for drug use within the community," said Stright.
"This year, we have set three detachment priorities; one of them was drugs.
On the drug side we are spending a lot of time and resources into the drug
side of things."

Already this year, the RCMP has had two undercover operations in the
community that have seen 12 people arrested. The detachment has also beefed
up their effort to tackle marijuana grow operations.

"In the first half of the year we have dismantled 23 marijuana grow ops
within the city limits," Stright added.

Overall, criminal code offences continue to show a decline in 2001, down
five per cent in the first half of the year.

While overall break and enters are up four per cent Stright said there has
been a 28 per cent decrease in business break-ins.

"Part of the reason could be that we have been successful in arresting some
of the criminal element, removing them from the community. Or else the
court's have removed them from the community," Stright speculated. "The
other thing is more businesses are starting to alarm their premises. They
advertise that fact on the windows and doors. So that can act as a deterrent."

Residential break and enters, however, have risen by 25 per cent. Stright
is reminding area residents to be a good neighbour and watch for suspicious
activity in their neighbourhoods.

"People that are going to be out of town, they really should know who their
neighbours are on either side of them or across the street and ask them to
keep an extra eye on the house."

If people do see anything suspicious, Stright said they should note car
descriptions or license plates if there are any strange vehicles, or any
other information they can.

The number of cheque frauds also took a downward turn in the first half of
2001. Stright believes a move towards electronic banking is the reason
behind the drop.

"In this day and age many people are using their debit cards and many
people are doing business on the Internet - paying bills on the Internet -
and have their employers deposit their cheques directly to the banks. All
of that saves cheques being stolen and forged and passed off at businesses
and the banks," he said.