NEIGHBOURS CHEER DRUG BUST

When Anna watched police bust into the neighbouring crack shack on
Walnut Avenue last Thursday, she was ecstatic.

"When they were doing the raid, we were jumping up and down in our
windows yelling, 'Yeah!!,'" Anna (not her real name) said.

"The SWAT team came. They jumped out of the cube van and busted
through the doors."

"Windows were smashed and lights [were] everywhere."

"I personally have never seen [a bust] in action. It was amazing how
they executed the raid."

While most might not be thrilled to see their street the subject of a
police action, Anna is pleased. She believes the police department
addressed the problem home quickly, and its speedy reaction was
largely the result of area residents working in cooperation.

"We banded together," she said. "There were so many of us taking
pictures and taking licence plates down. With the proper information
the police took action quickly."

"I know that this puts a little dent in our small community, but I
really want to thank our neighbours and our police."

A lot of people don't want to get involved in issues impacting their
neighbourhood, she said.

"A lot of people nowadays don't want to be seen and
heard."

"But we all got talking on a street corner one day. Once we spoke out
and shared information, it was great to see the results."

The Abbotsford drug squad and MIERT, the Municipal Integrated
Emergency Response team, raided the home in the 33900 block of Walnut
Avenue around 9 p.m., said Const. Casey Vinet.

Investigators seized approximately five grams of heroin, 14 grams of
crystal meth, 16 grams of crack cocaine and a police scanner.

"The amount of drugs found are consistent with the home being operated
as a drug distribution house," Vinet said.

Eight people were arrested. The 42-year-old man in control of the
residence is facing drug related charges, The man is known to police,
said Vinet, and had been arrested the previous week on similar charges.

"It's another example of how police deal with the same people for the
same things," he said.

Police often use information from the public in an investigation, said
Vinet.

"There's no question that public assistance and leads from the
community can result in us taking action," he said.

Anna thinks if more neighbourhoods got together, they could make a
difference.

"Plus it's a good way to get to know the neighbours," she
said.

"Now we've developed some friendships, and know someone's watching out
for us. It's nice to see."