ENCOURAGING TO SEE CRACKDOWN ON DEALERS

Last week, the Stratford Police Drug/Intelligence Unit completed a
five-month drug trafficking investigation resulting in the arrest of
12 Stratford and area residents on a number of drug trafficking and
weapons-related offences. Project "Cranked" was designed to target
traffickers of crystal methamphetamine and other controlled substances
within the City of Stratford and Perth County.

The project was funded by the enforcement initiative of The Perth
County Methamphetamine Task Force using a portion of a million dollar
grant received in 2007.

Ninety criminal and drug-related charges were laid including
trafficking methamphetamine, possession for the purpose of trafficking
methamphetamine, trafficking cocaine, possession for the purpose of
trafficking cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking
ecstasy, possession for the purpose of trafficking oxycodone,
trafficking marijuana, possession for the purpose of trafficking
marijuana, and possession of prohibited weapons.

By police estimates, about $81,000 worth of controlled substances was
seized and removed from the streets of Stratford. Police say the
amount of methamphetamine seized has potentially removed the
possibility of approximately 800 persons becoming addicts of this
highly addictive drug. During the investigation a marijuana grow
operation was also uncovered, a search warrant was executed and about
100 marijuana plants were recovered along with processed marijuana
valued at about $120,000.

The bad guys are out there. So too, thankfully, are the good guys. And
while it seems as though the estimate that a potential of 800 people
were saved from meth addiction through all this activity seems a bit
high to us, the point is clear: That much substance, at least, is gone
from the marketplace. Hopefully, too, the accused sellers will be out
of commission for a while. Too often police do their part in bringing
justice to our society and helping to protect us, only to see their
efforts squandered by other parts of the justice system. We hope that
doesn't happen here.

Those who want mind-altering substances and those who want to provide
them will always be with us. The job for everyone is to make it harder
for buyer and seller to do business. Our police and our crystal meth
task force are making that happen and for that they deserve thanks and
praise.