DRUG DEALERS FEARING TO DEAL IN LEDUC

Police Chief Updates Council

Insp. Dario Cecchin informed council Jan. 28 that the amount of drugs,
in terms of dollar value, the Leduc RCMP has seen within the last year
has gone down, the amount off stolen goods on the rise. "Drug
traffickers are fearing to deal in the City of Leduc," he said.

Insp. Cecchin said they have uncovered a greater amount of stolen
property than they have in previous years.

"It's all intertwined at the end of the day."

Drug enforcement arrests reached 92 in 2006 and fell to 77 last year;
drug related charges increased from 17 to 124, and warrants executed
dropped from 48 to 47.

Comparing statistics from 2006 and 2007, personal crime has risen from
400 to 454, liquor act from 178 to 233, family relations from 132 to
181, and disturbances from 381 to 406.

Regarding property crime, vehicle theft declined from 165 to 141, and
break and enters from 175 to 168, but theft from vehicles was on the
rise from 329 to 365, and mischief from 717 to 721. "We agree the
actual amount of crime under-reported is across the board," the
inspector said.

There has also been an increase in the amount of criminal record
checks; 1389 in 2006, 2165 in 2007.

He stated with the Alberta Winter Games coming up, it added to the
amount of people getting their records checked. "There's (also) a
demand for people who need it for their employer." A criminal records
check can take between 35 to 40 minutes.