CRACKDOWN ON CRACK ST. WAS WELCOMED BY ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE TRYING
TO MAKE YONGE AND DUNDAS SAFE

Every once in a while it's their turn to be inconvenienced.

That Operation Take the Money and Run drug bust of crack dealers on
Yonge St. Wednesday night was for every person whose car has been
broken into and their camera, computer and stereo stolen.

It was for every person who has been swarmed or had their home broken
into and their jewelry and personal effects lifted.

It was also for every person who has been panhandled, harassed,
followed or spit on by the dirty low-lifes who make a career of
preying on the law-abiding citizen.

It was for every tourist who came to Yonge St. with their family and
was horrified with the numbers of beggars and so-called homeless and
who vowed to never come back.

"What's the name of your main street?" a tourist once asked who
noticed all of the used pipes in the morning. "Crack Street?"

Sometimes Yonge St. fits that moniker. And that just doesn't help us.

The reality has been for almost 40 years that Yonge St. is a
cesspool. Emanuel Jacques and Jane Creba are just two of the many
people who have been slain there.

It's a disgrace. And clearly Toronto Police have shown it's still a
prime location for drug pushing and drug abusing. When the work force
heads home to the burbs, like rats the drug culture roams -- feeding
off of any coin or opportunity he or she can find.

This joint Drug Squad and 52 Division project found people dealing in
the arcades, inside the food court at College Park and on the street.
In other words, it was open, easy and available.

Crack cocaine may be lucrative for the seller but deadly for the
user. A lot of the people charged in this roundup were users who were
also doubling as sellers.

It creates an ugly stain for the centre of your city. And if all the
elements are right, someone can die.

There would be quite a monument if you ever listed all of the names.

But slowly, things are changing on Yonge St. You can see it with your
own eyes. Mayor David Miller and Chief Bill Blair seemed determined
to make that happen and deserve to be commended and encouraged. Keep
up the pressure. And they will.

With Dundas Square taking shape, with Ryerson University moving its
frontage to Yonge St., with more residential condos being built, with
CITY-TV moving, there will be more pressure to keep that street life
at bay and make it fun, upbeat and safe.

The drug crowd were put on notice with this bust.

There will be more. And there should be more. Sometimes you have to crack down.

The human side is the tragic side. In all my years of being a
reporter here I've got to know a lot of these street players and
their stories are desperate.

They need help. But nothing anybody ever does from any ideology ever
seems to help.

Ironically, the people who seemed most compassionate yesterday were
the cops themselves.

"For those who are addicted," said Supt. Don Campbell, "we want to
get them help."

This is a perfect time for the drug diversion program to assist those
addicts who want to get off the crack. But for those who are taking
advantage and making serious money pushing this lethal drug, Campbell
would like the justice system to throw the book at them.

Supt. Hugh Ferguson agreed, saying those who prey on drug addicts are
the ones who create an unsafe climate on the street for people and
for property.

Both cops were glad to get some dealers off the street for the day
but both are realistic it will take a tougher court system to ever
take a bite out of the nasty drug world. Some were already out on
bail last night and it's doubtful many will be held for long.

Operation Take the Money and Run?

You know already the legal aid lawyers are tripping over each other
to do just that.

Everybody knows nailing a crack dealer on Yonge St. is the same as
building a sand castle after the tide has gone out. Well, sort of.
The sand castle will be gone in the morning and the crack dealer will
be back in place. But if you have had stuff stolen lately enjoy the moment.

Soon it will be once again your turn to be inconvenienced.