WHOSE FAULT WAS IT?

On July 20 Valemount RCMP assisted by special units from Prince
George and Vancouver raided a local residence. Police acted on
information that the residence housed a crystal meth lab. But a
thorough search showed that the house had no such lab, leaving the
people living there embarrassed and outraged that their home and
privacy had been violated.

The anger is understandable. In this country we enjoy a lot of
individual freedom. We take certain rights for granted and it's a
shock if authorities come into our home against our will. It is
especially shocking when they come heavily armed and equipped to deal
with life-threatening hazards.

That said, the people who make crystal meth, and the substances used
to make it, are dangerous. This area of law enforcement is a risky
business. Think of the number of police officers that this country
has buried recently. Almost certainly, each of these deaths resulted
in some part because of the killer's involvement with mind-altering drugs.

But the risk posed by crystal meth goes farther. Crystal meth and a
lot of other drugs put the lives of their uses at risk. Listen to the
parents of young addicts or the stories of people who are dealing
with addiction. These drugs are so addictive and so debilitating that
users can't look after themselves from one day to the next. In one
way or another, the addiction is often a death sentence.

As a society, Canadians have decided to thwart easy access to illicit
drugs. We have enacted laws and provided the means to have them enforced.

Even though the Valemount raid took place in accordance with those
laws, it appears to have been a mistake -- but whose?

The RCMP acted on what it believed was accurate and reliable
information. The provincial court official petitioned for a search
warrant agreed there were sufficient grounds to issue one. The
authorities did their jobs--no more, no less.

The responsibility for the home invasion lies with the people who use
their homes to hide the manufacture of substances like crystal meth.

What happened here is what we have indicated we are prepared to
accept in order to have mind-altering drugs controlled. The
information on which the raid was based was clearly inaccurate, but
the raid was the only sure way to find out.

And what of the innocent children that may have been traumatized
during the raid?

Hopefully a caring and drug-free community will provide an
environment in which they will mend.

At the same time, a clear signal that Valemount stands fast in its
resolve to oppose drug abuse will help all village youth and their
parents avoid the prospect of years of heart-wrenching unhappiness.