RESIDENT STARTS PETITION TO CLEAN OUT DRUG DEALERS

A man living on Ninth Avenue has started a petition to get tenants in
a neighbouring residence evicted, after a rash of drug-related incidents.

Chuck Pearson, who lives in the 400 block of Ninth Avenue, as of
Tuesday, had so far gathered nearly 50 signatures from residents in
the neighbourhood in order to pressure the property owners to evict
the people who appear to be selling drugs.

"We're all getting together, knocking on doors," he says. "I may have
close to 100 signatures when this is all said and done."

He says the property owners should be held responsible for the
tenants' actions and evict them.

He says people are constantly showing up at the drug house, and the
RCMP show up three to four times a day, but there is nothing they can do.

"The police have to operate in a pretty small box," he says. "This
situation has been going on for quite a while.. I've seen over 30
customers go to their driveway."

He says he believes the tenants have police scanners, so they know
when the police are coming.

"We have actually heard them say they're coming before the police
come," he says, adding that he also believes the tenants are
responsible for a number of auto thefts.

After Pearson and his neighbours submit the petition to the property
owners, Pearson plans to work on another petition for the City to
establish a bylaw that would make it possible for property owners to
be held more responsible for their tenants' activities.

"It shouldn't be like this. The people that live in the city have to
stand up, not take it anymore, not be a victim."

He says people are often afraid to do anything about trouble in their
neighbourhoods, but he says he and his neighbours are refusing to be
victims and are instead taking action.

Pearson recently attended an Imagine Williams Lake meeting, where
crime was highlighted as being the top concern in the city.

"The biggest problem in Williams Lake through a survey was crime," he
says, adding that the City isn't adequately addressing the problem,
so the community needs to start taking action.

"I don't feel that I have seen enough to address the problem by the
City, as far as bringing in the bylaws to deal with them."

Mayor Scott Nelson says the City is working on bringing in a bylaw
that would make landlords more responsible for problem tenants and
force them to meet certain requirements.

"I think what it does do is put a greater emphasis on the landlord to
make sure that the tenants are respectable," Nelson says. "Your home
is your domain. It's where you want to live. It's where you want to
raise your kids, where you expect to be in a positive environment.
You shouldn't have to worry you've got a bloody pig-pen next door
with a bunch of drug dealers."

But Pearson says action from the City is too little, too late.

"The City's cures haven't done anything but help them because the
numbers are flourishing," he says, adding that it's getting to the
point where people now feel they have no other choice but to take
matters into their own hands.

He says simply adding more RCMP officers isn't the answer to many of
the problems, since officers show up at the drug house two to three
times a day as it is.

"The police can only do so much. The community has to stand up for itself."

Sgt. Brian Hunter of the Williams Lake RCMP says he can't comment on
specific or suspected drug houses, and was therefore unable to
provide information as to how often the alleged drug house on Ninth
Avenue is frequented by police.

He says, however, that in general, the police face challenges when
trying to stop activities at suspected drug houses.

"There can be a perception that 'police know that's a drug house, why
don't they just go in, kick the door in, arrest the people with the
drugs?' It's not that easy. It's a matter of resources and dedicating
the resources," he says, adding that gathering information and
quality evidence can take a long time.

"It's not uncommon for the people we deal with for them to have
police scanners," Hunter adds.

"We certainly do have other ways of communicating and we do use other ways."

Hunter was unable to provide an approximate number of how many
suspected drug houses are in the city.

"Is our community without the problems of drug houses? No. Most
communities have these types of situations and Willliams Lake is not
immune to it."

If the property owner, after receiving the petition, doesn't do
anything, Pearson and his neighbours may consider civil action.

"I'm not above running for council this fall to make a difference in
this matter," Pearson adds.

"This problem shouldn't exist."