DRUG CRACKDOWN BUOYS COMMUNITY

East-Side Police Team Shuts Down Crack Houses

A year ago, some 60 crack houses riddled neighbourhoods in the city's
southeast.

Prostitutes hung out on street corners plying their trade. And
residents felt beaten down by the criminals breaking into their shops
and homes looking for ways to pay for their drug habits.

"It was like bailing out a boat with a big hole in it," Lesli
Lancaster, president of the Forest Lawn Community Association, said
of past crime-fighting efforts.

But it's a different area for residents today since a special team of
police officers has worked over the past year to crack down on crack houses.

The district response team was put into place in March 2005 to combat
the drug problem and the ripple effect of crimes, said Acting Insp.
Rob Williams.

And the community has seen the changes.

"It's been quite a miracle," Lancaster said.

From the time the team began its crackdown until now, police have
executed 77 warrants on crack houses and laid 597 charges on 151
people for drug, weapons and other offences.

Acting Sgt. Jens Lind said that when he joined the team about eight
months ago, there were roughly 20 crack houses that were dealing
drugs every night.

Now, the officers are keeping their eyes on fewer than four.

"The big change has been in the drug dealers and the users
themselves," Lind said. "They're not out in the open about it
anymore. A lot of them have just moved out of the area."

The initiative has also led to decreases in crimes associated with
the drug trade, such as burglaries and assaults, and fostered a
better relationship with the people who live in those neighbourhoods.

More than a year ago, residents in the Forest Lawn area were feeling
defeated when it came to fighting crime.

"People felt, 'Well, why should I bother reporting if nobody does
anything?' " Lancaster said.

Now, more people are willing to report illegal activity.

"Our community has gained a confidence from this program," she said.
"They feel like the police really care about them and that their
reports are taken seriously."

Residents have even gone as far as to welcome officers into their
homes to use their living rooms for stakeouts.

"It's a lot easier than hiding in a vehicle," Lind said.

Across the district, which includes Dover, Forest Heights and
Marlborough, crime rates are down.

Williams was one of three officers to come up with the idea for the
response team. He said that before the program, the numbers of
burglaries, robberies and assaults were quite high.

"It's no secret these crack users were relying on other crimes to
supplement their addiction," he said.

But, with the four officers of the team -- assisted by the area's
detectives, mountain bike officers, the canine unit and the tactical
unit -- focusing on shutting down the crack houses, the ripple effect
has been widely felt.

In the area where those houses operated, commercial robberies are
down 67 per cent over the past year, aggravated assaults have dropped
by 44 per cent and break and enters at local shops saw a 41 per cent decrease.

Officers recognize they will have to keep on top of the crack houses
and dealers to keep a lid on the problem.

"As long as there are people using (drugs), there are people willing
to move in and take advantage of that," Williams said.

The team may now begin to focus on other areas of crime to target
other culprits, he said.

And he's considering changing the name to "crime reduction unit."

"To me, that's what our goal is," Williams said.