PREVALENCE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING SURPRISES EVEN RCMP OFFICERS

With a strong economy and surging population, the tri-municipal area
has become an attractive destination for organized crime groups.

The area is a lucrative market in which dope dealers can earn upwards
of $1,000 in a single night, according to local police.

Just one year after the formation of the tri-municipal area drug
unit, the Stony Plain/Spruce Grove RCMP detachment is armed with more
information about the drug trade than ever before.

Local cops have more than 100 drug-related files open. Already, about
three dozen search warrants have been executed.

"Without (a drug unit), we would have never been able to do that,"
said Insp. Wade Blake, the head brass at the local RCMP detachment.
"We've taken huge steps."

Eye-opener

The scope of the drug problem in the tri-municipal area was revealed
during a pair of month-long investigations aimed at putting a pinch
on local narcotics traffickers and producers.

During Operation Klean Sweep, which was held last April, police
charged 16 individuals with numerous drug-related offences, mostly
possession of narcotics and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Police also seized quantities of marijuana, crack cocaine, crystal
methamphetamine and ecstasy, with an approximate street value of
$10,000, and identified about 100 people as possible drug dealers.

Operation Klean Sweep II, conducted last November, led to various
charges against 14 more individuals, including residents of Spruce
Grove, Stony Plain, Enoch and Wabamun. According to Blake, the
staggering results of Operation Klean Sweep I and II provided a bit
of a wake-up call, even for the cops.

"We knew that drugs were being sold and that gangs were starting to
come in," he said.

"We just didn't know how big it was. We didn't know how in-depth it was.

"(The sweeps) opened our eyes, and in turn we had to open the eyes of
our councils and our communities."

Fighting back

In a continuing effort to make everybody more aware of the true scope
of the drug trade, the local RCMP detachment recently drafted a
community impact statement, a document that details the costs and
spin-offs of drug-related crime.

Just prior to sentencing at all drug-related trials or following a
guilty plea, victims are afforded an opportunity to explain how
they've been affected by the crime. If approved, the community impact
statement will be read at that time.

According to Blake, the four-page statement provides a "true picture"
of how the entire region is victimized by the drug trade.

"I know that the courts understand the impacts that the drugs have on
the individuals," he said.

"I wanted to ensure that how the residents are impacted is known.

"It's really a statement of how the whole community is affected."

The contents of the document, which has already been given the stamp
of approval from by Stony Plain town council and Parkland County
council, might surprise some residents.

"I think the general population is blissfully unaware of how much
drug activity is going on and the affect it is having on the
community," said Const. Ed Reinink, who is a member of the
four-person drug unit and drafted the community impact statement.

"As we develop more sources, we're being made more and more aware of
how much is actually going on in the community, what type of
organizations we're dealing with."

Gangs

According to the document, organized crime groups control the bulk of
the drug trade in the tri-municipal area.

At least a half dozen gangs - the Hells Angels, Crazy Dragons, Redd
Alert, Indian Posse, Taking Care of Business (TCB) gang, and Get the
Cash (GTC) Soldiers - are competing for business in the tri-region,
where marijuana, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and other drugs are
changing hands on a daily basis.

The Yellowhead Highway is also a main route for transporting drugs to
and from British Columbia and other Alberta communities.

The organized crime groups pushing drugs in the tri-municipal area
are the same gangs that control the drug trade in Edmonton and other
northern Alberta municipalities. According to Blake, the only way to
deter their presence is to make this area a tough spot to do business.

"Water takes the path of least resistance, and so do criminals,"
Blake said. "We can't allow ourselves to be complacent. The day we
become complacent is the day we will get overrun."

While the cops don't believe the area is home to a turf war, the
increase in drug trafficking has led to an increase in violent crime.
Two murders and a handful of home invasions have been linked to
organized crime, while cops have seized a number of dangerous
weapons, including firearms, during drug raids.

But it's not just dope dealers and addicts that are impacted by the drug trade.

Residents in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County are
funding a portion of the drug unit with their tax dollars. Drug use
also puts a crunch on the health care system and police believe many
so-called "crimes of opportunity," such as break and enters and car
thefts, can be linked to drug activity.

"Drugs affect people so seriously," Reinink said. "When you have a
person addicted to drugs, it's not just that person. They'll do
whatever it takes to get that next high if they're seriously
addicted. They'll commit break and enters, they'll steal, they will
lie to their families."

Progress

Next week, Blake and Reinink will address Spruce Grove and Parkland
County council, sharing statistics from the past year. Blake said he
hopes the elected officials will "see the value" of having the drug
team in operation.

"There's a better chance of getting caught today selling drugs or
using drugs than there was a year ago," he said.

While the creation of a drug unit has put a squeeze on drug dealers -
one individual has appeared in court on three occasions and was
recently sentenced to 27 months in jail - both Blake and Reinink
agree plenty of challenges lie ahead.

"Unfortunately, every time a drug dealer goes to court he's basically
going to school, because he's basically learning why he got caught,"
Reinink said.

The latest craze in the tri-municipal area is dropping drugs in
"stash spots." The drugs are concealed in discarded pop cans or other
non-descript items and left in public, where dealers or drug-runners
can retrieve them.

Police have found drugs such as crack cocaine in locations readily
accessible to children and the general public. In one incident, drugs
were recovered from a culvert in a rural area. Another time, the
substance was stashed in a flowerpot near a school.

It's tough to predict what methods might be used next.

"We try and keep one step ahead of them, and they try to keep one
step ahead of us," Blake said. "Every time the criminal community
learns about how we've detected it, they're trying to figure out how
they can beat it."

Outlook

As long as there is a market for the sale of illegal substances,
Blake and Reinink realize it will be impossible to stop the drug
trade. But both take pride in what has been accomplished since the
drug squad was established.

"We could probably have 50 guys working on drugs here and we're not
going to stop it," Reinink said. "(But) having a drug unit it's a
huge thing for this community. I believe we've had a significant
impact so far. We've executed a number of search warrants and we've
seized a significant amount of drugs."

Police are expecting even more successes in the coming months.

Blake compared the launch of the specialized unit to moving to a new
town, noting it takes some time to learn where the various amenities
are located. With one year under their belts, the members are much
more familiar with the landscape of the drug trade in the
tri-municipal area, he said.

"Now you know who the players are and where to put your concentration."

The Stony Plain/Spruce Grove RCMP detachment communicates often with
their counterparts in Edmonton, Leduc, Wetaskiwin, Evansburg and
other communities, swapping information on suspected drug traffickers
and others with ties to organized crime.

The drug unit is also counting on more assistance from the general
public. Residents are asked to report any suspicious activities to
the police drug tip line, at 968-7212.