LARGE NUMBERS ARE DECEIVING

Higher numbers for drug offences reflect police effort

Crime statistics are like any other; it all depends on how you interpret them.

At Drayton Valley town council last Wednesday, Cpl. Gord Chammen of the
Drayton Valley RCMP gave council a brief overview of some of the crime
statistics for the town. Included in the statistics was the number of
investigations and charges relating to drugs, break and enters, and
assaults in 2000.

There were 103 drug investigations and charges laid for the year. That
number compared to 28 for Rocky Mountain House, 18 for Ponoka, 21 for Slave
Lake and 51 for Edson. For break and enters there were 84 in Drayton
Valley, compared to 28 for Olds, 87 for Peace River, 152 for Edson, 84 for
Whitecourt and 34 for Ponoka. Assaults numbered 111 for Drayton Valley, 129
for Rocky Mountain House, 83 for Ponoka, 131 for Peace River, 132 for Slave
Lake and 84 for Edson.

The number of drug investigations and charges laid for 2000 were higher for
Drayton Valley than for some communities of comparable size, but Mayor Moe
Hamdon said that statistic isn't alarming, it's encouraging.

"Actually, I was very impressed...," he said. "Those are not an indication
of the number of drug users in the community; it's an indication of the
number of drug users being caught."

Hamdon said that the zero-tolerance approach of the community and the
police may have paid dividends. Break and enters and other property crimes
are usually directly related to the amount of drug use in a community and
the lower numbers in Drayton Valley could mean that the education and
enforcement programs are working to reduce drug use.

"So if we are lower in that (break and enters) then we might be winning the
battle," he said.

"We're sending a clear message. There's a long, long way to go in this
battle but we're making some headway."

Chammen said the clearance rates (number of charges resulting in
convictions) are not in yet, but the early statistics are an indication
that the police and the community are meeting the drug problem head on.

"The only reason we are high (statistically) - high on those issues - is
because we've gone out and attacked them," he said.