TIME TO INVESTIGATE ALL ASPECTS OF THE LOCAL DRUG TRADE

The last couple of weeks there seems to be a rash of crime in one
form or another with the attack on the individual on Carson and the
destruction at Deni House.

We have individuals starting petitions for more police as well as
petitions to have drug house tenants evicted.

This sounds very much like our community is getting sick and tired of
the lack of charges, convictions or sentences that some of these
crooks are receiving.

It also sounds like, and I mentioned it before, it will not be long
before vigilante groups start up and begin doing the police work.

One of my grandsons is afraid to go into high school next year
because of the gang problem at this level and some seem to go
oblivious that there is even a gang.

Of course one of the problems is the drug houses and the dealers, but
we also need to go one step further and see who owns those houses or
apartments.

It is my belief that the big drug dealers, that seem so elusive, have
moved into smaller communities where they go unsuspected for longer
periods of time as they do not live here, they use fronts to do their
dastardly deeds for them.

Like buying up houses, duplexes, apartments with the dirty money. As
the RCMP at a Chamber of Commerce meeting told us, money laundering
is one of the main ways drug cartels use to legitimize future earnings.

They buy up rental property and businesses as a front or they flip
them and make even more money in a good market.

The flipping is not altogether necessary as money is not the issue
and there is no need to make a profit if they only need a place to
hide the cash flow from the drug deals.

But the flip can justify larger cash deposits, and of course it can
be sold from one crook to another and therefore expand the appearance
of legitimacy.

How it works is they find businesses that generally deal in cash like
rental units.

The bank get a little leery when large cash deposits are made, so
what better way to hide it than by buying up business that deal
mostly in cash so they can make their deposits and bypass the scrutiny.

Also the vacancy rates can be fudged because you can make the
deposits on the number of units you have at whatever rate you charge
and brag that there is full or near full occupancy.

Maybe it's time the police have the ability to check into all aspects
of the drug trade to get to those elusive dealers and their front men.

All departments need to work together and do some investigating.