Crackdown designed to send message

RCMP confident it has sent a major shock wave through local drug
community

A massive drug sweep in the city over the weekend should send a strong
message to pushers who haven't been caught yet, a local Mountie believes.

"I'm sure there's a huge wave rippling through the drug trade right
now in terms of what happened," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Carol
McKinley.

Police officers arrested 27 city residents on 36 counts of drug
trafficking and a half-dozen counts of possession over the weekend.

Included in the suspects was a 17-year-old young offender.

They also seized small to medium sized quantities of cocaine,
marijuana, ecstasy, acid and speed, as well as about $7,000 in cash.

The arrests came as a result of a four-month undercover operation
conducted by officers from the local detachment, RCMP K Division in
Edmonton and Edmonton Police Services.

McKinley said the operation was noteworthy for several
reasons.

One was when and where the undercover cops were able to purchase the
drugs. Sales were conducted at homes, grocery-store parking lots, the
Prairie Mall during the daytime as well as at clubs and pool halls at
night.

The other was availability.

McKinley said officers had no problem hooking up with product after
locating a dealer.

"The ease to acquire was quite impressive," she said. "The street
crews found that when they were attempting to make a purchase, if that
person wasn't able to supply right away, that person would readily
make attempts to get it for them. When that person left, someone else
would approach them, ask what they were looking for and say, 'Give me
five minutes and I'll meet you in the parking lot.'"

However, McKinley was hesitant to hold it up as evidence of an
out-of-control drug trade in the Swan City.

She did say that the busts underscore the need for more "dedicated"
projects, as is the need for other drug-prevention projects such as
RCMP's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.

"We can't simply look at enforcement being the solution to the drug
trade. We believe that you have to do education in coupling with
enforcement," she said. "One cannot be an island unto itself."

Ten of the 27 people arrested made their first court appearances in
Grande Prairie Monday.

The other suspects will appear in court over the next few weeks.