PORT HOPE POLICE CRACKING DOWN ON ILLICIT DRUGS

Port Hope Police have had to withdraw from the Kawartha Combined
Forces Drug Unit to concentrate on illegal drug problems in the
municipality, says the deputy chief.

"The Port Hope Police have seen an influx of crack cocaine in their
community over the last three years, to the point that even our
front-line officers participating in minor traffic stops are arresting
and charging persons with trafficking crack cocaine," Garry Hull said.
"Over the past three years the Port Hope Police have adjusted their
manpower to deal with the ever changing times of illicit drug activity."

About three years ago Port Hope Police placed one of their own with
the drug unit to deal with an increasing problem in Northumberland
County, but they opted out of the unit earlier this year to allocate
an officer to a growing drug trade at home.

"In this period of time the Port Hope Police have executed over 20
drug related search warrants and have seized various drugs including
marijuana, crack cocaine, morphine, psilocybin and ecstasy, not to
mention numerous weapons and proceeds of crime," Deputy Chief Hull
said.

"When you start to make a concerted effort, the more you start peeling
the layers away, the more you start to see it's in your community," he
said.

But the deputy chief noted police cannot deal with the problem alone;
it must be a community-wide effort.

"There have been a lot of families affected by drug use; these people
can share a lot of information with police and other community members
who may be suffering with an addiction to drugs." He added there also
is a need for more support groups for people with drug addictions and
their family members - similar to programs available for alcoholics.