POLICE GOING OVERBOARD WITH DRUG-SNIFFING DOGS

First it was cops posing as squeegee kids trying to nab beltless drivers --
now it's dogs sniffing for pot on B.C. Ferries' vessels.

Let's be clear: We heartily applaud efforts by our often beleaguered law
enforcers to hammer organized and other serious crime with every legal
weapon at their disposal.

But seriously, is this the best use of the highly-trained force's skills?

"Operation High Seas" as this cloak and dagger routine has been dubbed,
flushed out eight people with the reefer madness in their vehicles, two of
whom will have some explaining to do in court.

Even if found guilty they'll be released in hours to return to their
horticultural careers in a bid to earn the court costs and fines.

Police acted, not on a specific tip, but rather on some vague theory that
drugs were being transported via the ferries. That smacks of a fishing
expedition; a pleasant summer excursion for handlers and their dogs, perhaps?

While one might disagree with some of the hyperbole of civil liberties
watchdog John Dixon, he does raise an interesting point about whether
police need a search warrant. We do know they need to have reasonable and
proper grounds before searching someone's personal space; be it body, home
or vehicle.

Yes, the cultivation of pot is a huge business in B.C.; after all, the
province has been touted as bud capital of North America.

But the assertion by our Solicitor-General Rich Coleman that he doesn't
want the province to become a haven for this type of activity is too
little, too late. Where has he been for the past three decades?

Meanwhile, another type of crime wave is wreaking havoc here; vehicles are
being stolen in unprecedented numbers, houses are being ransacked, and it
seems there's an epidemic of seniors and foreign students under attack.

Surely, these crimes should take priority over searching for a soft drug
that half the country believes should be legalized or at least decriminalized.

The public no longer views B.C.'s biggest cash crop as the "demon" drug.
All the more reason why the federal government ought to study its potential
for legalization and subsequent taxation.

As for police, by all means track down the big traffickers and organized
crime connections. But leave our streets, festivals and ferry sailings to
the enjoyment of tourists and local vacationers.