WATCH KIDS' CHANGE OF FRIENDS, BEHAVIOUR

As youth return to school this month, Port Moody Police are urging parents
to watch their kids' change of friends and behaviour.

The department says now is the time to observe how children are interacting
with new social groups, and to make sure they're safe.

The call comes after an investigation by PMPD of illegal drug use in the
community, which found that many young people are hooked.

And, according to Chief Paul Shrive, many of the young addicts identified
in Project Downsize are still taking cocaine and heroin.

Project Downsize was an operation launched by police in 1998/99 to find out
who is buying drugs in PoMo - and who is supplying them.

"All of those dealers were targeted and subsequently arrested and were
given various sentences in jail," said Sgt. Robb McGirr, an investigation
leader and drug expert at PMPD. "We track a lot of these kids - 50 some-odd
kids - that we identified in '98/99 and many of them have tried various
treatment programs with varying degrees of success, however, the large
majority of them still maintain a hard-core drug habit even to this day."

This month, PMPD charged a 22-year-old Surrey man with trafficking heroin
and cocaine after police allege he was found in possession of 40 flaps of
heroin and several rocks of cocaine as well as $2,000 in cash.

PMPD believes he was dealing to at least 60 youths in the area.

"The drugs themselves are so addictive that it's extremely difficult for
anyone - let alone a young person - to get off hard core drug use."

"It's got my attention," Chief Shrive said. "One, seeing that most of these
users are still users and most of these dealers are still dealers.

"It always strikes me, every time I look around our community and see a car
with a broken window, in my mind, that's just a drug addict going after
what he needs to support his habit."

Shrive said PMPD heard from a 17-year-old this week who has used drugs for
18 months; he needs $80 a day to support his illegal habit.

"We asked where he would get $80 a day, and he looked us right in the eye
and said, 'Steal,'" Shrive said.

"This isn't something that has gone away or is going to go away," he said.
"These addicts are under the control of very powerful drugs."

McGirr said most of the property crimes committed in PoMo - like break and
enter - are drug-fueled.

Addicts from Vancouver also are coming into the suburbs to rob banks and
businesses, McGirr said.

"No matter which way you slice it, a vast majority of crime being committed
not only just in Port Moody but throughout the Lower Mainland is driven by
drugs."

Shrive said PMPD has examples of PoMo children stealing cash or electronic
equipment from their parents to pay for drugs.

"It's tragic when it comes to that," he said. "No neighbourhood is immune
from this.

Very good neighbourhoods with heroin addicts living there and suddenly
crimes taking place that just don't seem to fit the neighbourhood."

McGirr said, with the start of the new school year, parents need to be
vigilant about new friends their children are associating with.

"Don't just assume that because they come from a nice neighbourhood these
kids don't have problems of their own," he said.