SHARP REMINDER LEFT HOW CAIRNSMORE PROBLEMS REMAIN

Chronic crime and hard-drug abuse in the Government/Cairnsmore
street area has some locals repeating demands for community action
before push comes to shove.

"In the past two weeks there's been a wave of crime happening up
here again and we're finding needles around day and night," Loren
Halloran, manager of Bruce's Grocery, said of a blight originally
reported nearly two years ago.

He and resident William Bottoms have collected a bucket of used dope
syringes and other paraphernalia around Bruce's, the nearby 7-Eleven
store and Duncan elementary school.

One strung-out drug user and dealer is known to police and should be
arrested before someone in the neighbourhood decides to take the law
into their own hands, he says.

Hallaron also describes rampant vandalism, store theft and break-ins
by suspected addicts.

"I do nightly patrols just to look out for our store.

"There'll be more break-ins and home invasions are feared because
these people have to keep feeding their habit," he said, noting
police do respond often.

An RCMP spokesperson was unavailable for comment by press time Tuesday.

North Cowichan/Duncan RMCP has been involved with a Cairnsmore
Neighbourhood Action Project struck late last year. A Cowichan
Valley Safer Futures program, CNAP gained a $75,769 federal grant
for a work-experience program to confront Cairnsmore's problems.

A CNAP agent was unavailable to comment by deadline but Pedro
Mengual, Duncan elementary's acting principal, has seen little
effect from CNAP's Mug-Ups program that doled out hot chocolate to
youths in December.

"I went to a meeting they had. Whenever you can get community groups
together (it's) good but I can't say I've seen any noticeable difference.

"Changing behaviour is a long-term thing."

Halloran suggests more help is needed on the ground.

"You gotta try and help these people but are (CNAP) people combing
the schoolyard in the morning?"

Mengual cites some patrols by Co-Val security and RCMP community
volunteers as attempts made to stop crime in the area.

But he explained needles, condoms and other wastes still plague his
schoolyard.

"Any such debris is a concern because of the children so even one is
too much."

Halloran, Bottoms and others suspect offenders live in the Luxor
Manor apartments, shooting up in brush behind the 7-Eleven.

But Geraldean Poirier, Luxor's new manager, promises a clean sweep
of druggies and criminals.

"I'm putting a new in-house manager in our A building and I'll be in
B. I'm cleaning this place right up; that's what I'm here to do from
our new owners," she said Monday.

"We're also going through a new strict application process and I
don't care if suites are empty."

Laurie Smith, a 7-Eleven spokesperson, says her Cairnsmore store
manager, Ian Davidson, is keeping criminals away, keeping his lot
clean of needles and will work with Luxor on other fronts.

"We're not interested in providing a cushy (drug-use) place. We'll
fix the fence (beside Luxor) and look at the area to see what else we can do."

Smith notes the problem is long-term, urging adequate notice of CNAP
meetings so Davidson can attend.

Poirier also promises to attend.

"Anything we can do to make things better together, I'm willing;
this is my home also."

City Councillor Paul Fletcher wants a CNAP progress report and gives
passing agreement to suggestions of a legal shooting gallery to
control needles and drug users.

"It works in other places and you can have outreach with it. We're a
small city with big city problems.

"We have very little budget or provincial support on this and we're
at a critical juncture. "Perhaps our new official community plan can
address some of these issues."