TOO TOUGH ON DRUG DEALERS?

Lawyer Slams Cop's In-Your-Face Tactics

A city lawyer is slamming a veteran cop for his in-your-face style of
running drug dealers out of neighbourhoods.

Tom Engel, speaking as chairman of the Criminal Trial Lawyers
Association, said Edmonton police Det. Maurice Brodeur seems to be
using tactics that are unconstitutional and illegal.

"Of course, no one wants to see drug houses in their neighbourhoods,
but our concern is that it would appear Const. Brodeur, with the
approval of his superiors, is resorting to illegal ways of ridding the
neighbourhood of undesirables. And that's a dangerous thing," said
Engel.

Brodeur, a detective in the downtown criminal investigations section,
said he has done his homework and says he does nothing outside the
law. "Whatever it takes to bring peace and stability to a
neighbourhood, I'll do - as long as it's legal," he assured Sun Media
yesterday.

Since September 2005, Brodeur has been working with landlords, health
and fire inspectors, and even animal-control officers to make drug
dealers' lives miserable.

He ensures drug-house residents get fined for barking dogs, noisy
parties and snow-covered sidewalks, and he will show up with health or
fire officials for snap inspections.

Brodeur, who relies on neighbours to alert him to suspected drug
houses, typically marches up to the front door and introduces himself
as the cop who's keeping an eye on the place.

He once called out to a drug dealer from his car's loudspeaker, asking
why he was ruining the neighbourhood. On another occasion, he visited
a female suspect's workplace to talk to her about her illegal activity.

Brodeur said his methods help keep a lid on crime.

But Engel, a high-profile police critic, said much of this
"harassment" is based on suspicion. "If they had more than suspicion,
they would be able to get their search warrant."

Brodeur said search warrants are often too labour-intensive to acquire
and they don't solve the problem because it usually takes a year to
get to court.

"I get things done quicker and I get results."

Engel claimed Brodeur's snap inspections are illegal and an abuse of
power under bylaws and provincial statutes, and showing up at
someone's workplace or broadcasting their suspected drug-dealer status
on a loudspeaker represents intimidation and unauthorized public
disclosure of police info - a breach of EPS policy.

Brodeur said bylaw officers and other inspectors are escorted by
police for safety reasons and the complaints they check out aren't
frivolous. In the case of the workplace visit, Brodeur said he
couldn't reach the woman at home. And in the case of the loudspeaker,
Brodeur said the man's drug-dealing was no secret to the neighbours.

Brodeur said his methods, used on the south side, will soon be
extended to the rest of the city.

U of A criminal law professor Sanjeev Anand said legitimate
inspections are legal.

"If not, the court may find it's an unreasonable search and exclude
any evidence that's found," Anand said.

Engel vowed to look into the matter further before filing an official
complaint.