PICTOU LANDING RESIDENTS WANT POLICE TO TACKLE DRUG
CRIMES

Pictou Landing - Cracking down on drugs is the main priority Pictou
Landing residents want the RCMP to focus on in 2007.

A dozen area residents attended a town hall style meeting hosted by
the Pictou County District RCMP aimed at determining the priorities
of the community for its police focus next year. Like many other
communities in the county, tackling the drug problem was the first
word on the lips of participants.

"I want my kids to know what drugs look like," said one woman who
attended the session, adding that she'd like to see the police do
education for younger children as well as adults in the community.

Both prescription and non-prescription drugs appear to be a problem
in the area.

There may be some relief in sight, however. Police indicated that an
announcement of a new seven-member drug task force will be
forthcoming shortly. It's expected that the joint force will be made
up of the new police officers recently announced for each
municipality in the province.

Increasing police presence in the community was also a priority.

"Even if you sit in the office and do paperwork, instead of just
coming in if you're called," suggested Ralph Francis. "We only ever
see police if there's four or five cars coming in with the lights on."

Francis suggested that a foot patrol every few weeks could go a long
way to improving the situation.

"We love it when you come for our pow wows and for Christmas and
Remembrance Day," said Chief Anne Francis Muise. "Something as small
as that is good."

Staff-Sgt. Ross Landry said he plans to work on getting additional
liaison officers for Pictou Landing to improve visibility in the region.

This was the fourth in a series of meetings the RCMP have held across
the county. One more meeting between the Mounties and representatives
from the three high schools is planned. A report with the findings
from the meetings will be released at a later date.