COMMUNITY LEARNS ABOUT DRUGS, GANGS AT FORUM

Maple Ridge residents Donna-Lee and Charlie Berard have been members
of their neighbourhood Block Watch for the 14 years they've lived
here. As parents of three girls ages five, eight, and 11, they often
attend community education programs on public safety - such as the one
held Wednesday night in the Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall.

Drugs and gangs were on the agenda, and about 60 people came to hear
RCMP officers Richard Stewart and Scott Rintoul.

"The two gentleman that did the--one of them did the drugs and the
other did the gangs--were extremely knowledgeable, informative, and
very well organized. We learned a lot," Donna-Lee said.

She said she felt all three of her children paid close attention, and
was especially glad that her older two attended.

"The older one, it was definitely so worth it for her, because she's
going to be in junior high school in a year, so we're really trying to
get her to understand the kinds of mistakes you can make that you
might not be able to undo."

The program was hosted by the Pitt Meadows Community Police Committee
and while it was geared towards teens and their parents. According to
Derrick Keist, crime prevention program coordinator and volunteer
coordinator for the Ridge Meadows RCMP, people of all ages attended.

"I'm a little disapointed in the attendance," Donna-Lee said the day
after the event.

" I felt like there should have been more parents there and more
parents of teens there. And I would question the parents of these
teens I'm seeing on the streets late at night just hanging around. I'm
wondering if their parents are taking any of these courses and are
aware of what kind of trouble these kids can be in."

Keist said the program was meant to open dialogue between parents and
their kids and to raise awareness in general about drugs and gangs,
although he said they are not necessarily on the rise in this area.
"So it's just an education for the community, hopefully opening some
dialogue between teens, kids and their parents," Keist said Wednesday
before the event. "They [parents] don't really know what's going on
when they talk to their kids, so this is education for them. But it's
also kids too, sometimes they get wooed and wowed by the romance of
gangs or the romance of drugs--you know, what the promises are--but in
fact it's something very drastically different."

Because many members of neighbourhood block watches also attended,
information included how to spot unusual activities around town, such
as clandestine lab sites and marijuana grow operations. Keist said
upcoming programs will cover the topics of internet safety. Dates have
yet to be announced.