POLICEMAN'S DEATH SADDENS US ALL

The circumstances surrounding Constable Barry Schneider's death have
affected many of us in various ways (Veteran drug-enforcement officer
dies of heroin, cocaine overdose, Jan. 5).

I knew Barry and worked with him for several years. The past 36 hours
have been extremely emotional for me.

On Dec. 6, I attended the memorial service for Barry in Comox. The
cause of death was initially reported as a heart attack brought on by
a blood clot.

The memorial was an RCMP and community outpouring of remembrance
attended by 700 or 800 people. Barry was instrumental in instituting
the DARE program on drug awareness. He was fondly eulogized by members
of community organizations and aboriginal leaders who thanked him for
saving young people in their communities. Many public awareness
programs used across Canada were drafted by Barry.

I have known Barry and his family since I was 12. He and I started our
RCMP careers in Burnaby. We then worked together in the heroin unit of
the RCMP drug section in Vancouver. Barry moved on to other
detachments and finally to the Courtenay RCMP drug section before
taking over the DARE program for the RCMP Island District.

Barry was an outgoing character with a great sense of humour. I always
knew him to be a dedicated member of the Force and a good, decent family man.

If you have not seen the news in the last 36 hours, we have received
the autopsy and toxicology reports which have been exhaustively
reviewed so there is no mistake. The cause of Barry's death was the
result of a lethal heroin overdose.

Words cannot describe the despair and bewilderment many of us are
feeling. I have had many a tearful moment.

The RCMP, on learning of the results, immediately contacted the press
to show there was no holding back of this information. The possibility
of foul play (murder) is virtually ruled out, leaving only two
options: Barry committed suicide using a drug exhibit or Barry was a
"user" and accidentally overdosed.

I am very saddened and discouraged with this outcome. My love and
respect for Barry as a person is not diminished, because I know of the
good work his program was doing. I feel pretty hopeless in my efforts
on the war against drugs as it is apparent that it knows no bounds as
to the people it can victimize.

A person with whom I have developed an unusual friendship has called
several times to console me. As a one-time major cocaine importer and
trafficker who I personally put in jail, he gave me an insight into a
world most of us hopefully will never know. He told me he has seen
many good decent people fall prey to cocaine and heroin. He told me he
has seen people die right in front of him from overdoses and he just
walked away so as not to be interrogated by police.

I thank God for this friend and his continued efforts to forge a new
life. I ask that we all pray for Barry and his family (his wife, two
daughters, his sister, his brother and his mother). I ask that we pray
for the RCMP officers, particularly those in drug enforcement, who
knew Barry. This is a sad and demoralizing time for us.

I ask that we pray for the press to report the facts, but stay away
from sensationalization and personal attacks and judgment, and that
they be sympathetic to the family, friends and officers who have to
deal with the emotions of this event. I also ask that we pray for the
young people who would look at the work that Barry has done with jaded
cynical eyes and pray that they see this as another lesson that drugs
are permeating every level of society and bring down even the well
intentioned.

Cpl. Gordon Mooney

RCMP Greater Vancouver Drug Section