DRUGS AN ISSUE IN SPRUCE GROVE: RCMP

Spruce Grove city council heard extensively about drugs in the area
when an RCMP drug unit member and the area's top cop gave a
presentation on enforcement in Spruce Grove two weeks ago.

"Currently, the biggest threat is the organized crime -- the gangs,"
said Ed Reinink, one of the members of the RCMP drug unit. He, along
with Insp. Wade Blake, spoke to council during the Nov. 27 regular
meeting.

"We've seized everything from ecstasy, cocaine, crack cocaine,
marijuana -- we've also had an individual who was selling prescription
drugs," Reinink said, adding "the first year is mainly used for
gathering information.

"Towards the end of the year, though, we've seen a much higher rate of
search warrants being conducted," he said.

The four-person drug unit was established in April, and has since been
involved in a number of investigations in the tri-municipal area.
Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and the province each
contribute funding for one member of the unit.

Criminals

In some cases, it's taking criminals a long time to learn their
lesson, Reinink said.

"One of the things that we have found, is to be effective we have to
hit these people a number of times," he explained.

"If we hit them two or three times, it shows the courts these people
aren't listening."

Council had a number of questions for the officers, including one from
Ald. Randy Palivoda, who asked how much contact officers have with
schools in the area.

"We have liaison officers in all the public schools, Catholic schools
and private schools in the city of Spruce Grove," Blake answered.

Reinink explained a situation at one Stony Plain school, where
teachers and administrators found students were continually smoking
marijuana.

Police visited the site, and though they didn't lay any charges,
brought information to administrators, who decided on the appropriate
course of action.

However, Blake added, a lot more could be done throughout the
region.

"We could have somebody dedicated to go to schools," he said. "That's
what I advocated for -- community policing officers."

He explained programs like the student crime stoppers program would
already be in place in all local schools if additional officers were
in place.

Initiatives

The officers also mentioned a few other items of interest in Spruce
Grove during the presentation.

"Vandalism continues to be a problem in the Spruce Grove area," Blake
said. "In an effort to try and curb vandalism this summer, we
established the bike patrols."

In Blake's report, he stated the bike patrol had been very successful
not only in the apprehension of suspects, but also in the many
favourable comments from citizens throughout the city.

Ald. Wayne Rothe asked Blake and Reinink what the city could be doing
better to support the RCMP.

"Personally, having worked in the area, there is a need for a (drug)
rehabilitation centre, I can tell you that right now," Reinink
replied. "I've had individuals that I've arrested just crying, they
don't know what to do -- they don't know how to get away from their
drugs."

Mayor Scott asked administration to contact the provincial and federal
government regarding the funding for such a facility.