CRACKDOWN: CHARGES LAID, DANGEROUS DRUGS OFF STREETS AS POLICE SWEEP CITY

It took 10 minutes for an undercover city officer to find someone who
would sell him crack cocaine on the streets of Peterborough.

After that first score, the same officer continued prowling the
downtown area pretending to be an addict for about two months --
ducking into alleyways, parked vehicles, homes and even businesses to
buy crack and find out who was dealing this highly addictive and
illegal drug that's fuelling crime across the city.

He had to be wary -- dealers often carry weapons such as knives,
pipes and guns to protect themselves, their drugs and the large
amounts of cash they carry.

Some charges were laid along the way; then came Tuesday -- "takedown day."

That's when city police officers laid the bulk of the 129 charges
against 45 people in what police dubbed Project Crackdown.

"We're not naive enough to believe we're eliminating the crack
cocaine problem with one initiative," said Staff Sgt. Steve Streeter,
who oversaw the investigation, which ran from Sept. 13 to Friday.

"But the message is -- there are consequences for those dealing illicit drugs."

He said he was surprised by the number of charges and by how easy it
was to buy crack.

Deputy Chief Ken Jackman agreed, calling it "pathetic."

Crack cocaine isn't unique to Peterborough -- it's a problem across
the province, Jackman said.

Users are robbing homes, stealing vehicles and holding up convenience
stores to get money to feed their addiction.

It's draining our health care system, social services, justice system
and is ruining individual lives and families, Jackman said.

Some teenaged girls are prostituting to pay for the drug.

"It's horrendous," Jackman said.

Crack cocaine was virtually unknown in Peterborough until 2001, said
Det. Const. Deb Gillis, a drug officer in the active crime unit.

People had used powder cocaine in Peterborough prior to that and they
could still function by holding jobs and paying the bills, she said.

Many switched to crack cocaine when it arrived here, causing some to
lose their jobs and cause a further downward spiral because crack is
so powerful and debilitating.

Plus it's cheap -- a mere $20 can buy 0.2 grams, enough to get you high.

People can go on "binges", Gillis said, staying up for three to four
days at a time.

"It's the worst type of drug we're seeing in Peterborough right now,"
Gillis said.

It's becoming more prevalent every year, she said.

With this in mind, a community group made up of members from police,
city council, social agencies and schools was formed earlier this
year to look at how to curb the problem.

The idea, Jackman said, is to control the problem.

"Because I don't think it can ever be totally eradicated," he said.

Brainstorming and discussion led to Project Crackdown.

The project's undercover officer targeted street-level drug dealers
downtown. Crack could be bought at any time of day, police said, and
from dealers aged from 18 to 50.

The undercover officer targeted areas such as the Simcoe Street bus
terminal, Brock Mission and methadone clinics.

The smallest purchase was 0.2 grams for $20 and the largest was half
an ounce for $700, police said.

Federal prosecutor Chris Corkery praised the work of city police, but
shook his head when presented with the arrest numbers.

"Those are disturbing figures," Corkery said.

Though he prosecutes more marijuana arrests, Corkery said, cocaine
and its various forms are a close second.

"This solidly reflects the drug problem in this city," Corkery said.

Mayor Sylvia Sutherland said she also commends officers for helping
get drugs and dealers off the streets.

She said she's surprised by the high number of charges, adding the
dangers of crack cocaine must be reinforced by parents and schools.

"We must do everything we can to stop it," Sutherland said.

Part of the problem, she said, is that drug dealers have branched out
into smaller outlying communities such as Peterborough since the
crackdown in Toronto following last year's Boxing Day shooting that
killed 15-year-old Jane Creba.

Jackman said he agrees that's a big part of the problem, adding Chief
Terry McLaren, in his role as Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
president, recently discussed this issue with Attorney General
Michael Bryant and Community Safety and Correctional Services
Minister Monte Kwinter.

After Ms. Creba's death, the Greater Toronto Area received more
funding for judges, special courts and Crown attorneys.

Jackman said perhaps now is the time for the Ontario government to
create a provincewide strategy.

That's a "fair point", said Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal.

"Indeed the Toronto experience has worked.... It could now be an
opportune time to look at the whole province," Leal said.

Meanwhile, Jackman said, police won't be lax about nabbing crack
cocaine users and dealers now that Project Crackdown is over. It's
something police focus on every day, he said.

The project's high profile and large number of arrests is good public
knowledge, he said.

"It puts people on notice that open drug dealing will not be
tolerated here," Jackman said.

ARRESTS

Here's a breakdown of the charges:

- - 46 counts of trafficking a controlled substance

- - 12 counts of conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance

- - 15 counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose
of trafficking

- - 14 counts of possession of a controlled substance

- - 1 count of robbery

- - 6 counts of possession of property obtained by crime

- - 29 counts of breach of probation

- - 6 counts of breach of recognizance