CRACKING DOWN ON CRACK HOUSES

Police, Fire Department Working Together To Drive Drug Dealers, Crime From City

Nestled in a quiet north-end neighbourhood, a brown bungalow stands apart
stately homes with the manicured lawns and luxury vehicles parked in driveways.

Set back from the road and partially hidden by a huge evergreen tree, its
front door is usually open and there's a steady traffic of visitors.

The visitors are actually customers, stopping by for their daily fix of
crack cocaine or prescription pills.

While the home has been the focus of police raids in the past, the drugs
continue to flow as demand remains high.

Niagara Regional Police has now joined forces with the Niagara Falls Fire
Department to hit the dealers where it hurts.

Fire officials routinely inspect drug houses for Ontario Fire Code
violations. Violations that can result in a fine of up to $50,000 or up to
one year behind bars.

Working with the fire department is another tool local police use to get
drug peddlers off the streets and to dry up the supply of illicit drugs in
the city.

"If we can't get them our way, we'll get them another way," said NRP Det.
Staff Sgt. Craig Coates.

Police and fire officials toured the home Thursday and found it filled with
garbage - some two-feet deep in the basement - and used syringes.

The kitchen table s blanketed with syringes, alcohol swabs, spoons, small
jars of sterilized water and other intravenous drug paraphernalia.

The fire inspector quickly spots numerous violations.

There are no working fire alarms in the home, bare wires dangle from the
ceiling and the rear door is barricaded.

Fire Insp. Jim Jessop snaps some photos and warns the occupant he will be
facing charges.

Jessop is very familiar with the home. An inspection last year yielded
similar results and led to several charges against the owner.

Police and fire departments can now take advantage of new legislation
designed to get tough on illegal drug operations.

The legislation amended seven different acts including the fire code to
increase enforcement powers and double penalties for building, electrical
and fire safety offences.

The changes reflected the increased risk such buildings pose to the public
and emergency responders.

In the event of a fire, firefighters would not only have to battle the
blaze, but also contend with piles of garbage.

"The amount of combustible material strewn about the house would definitely
feed the fire and make it more intense," Jessop said.

Also, the used syringes pose a significant risk to emergency personnel.

"In blackout and smoky conditions, firefighters are not going to be able to
see those needles and there's a very strong possibility of having a needle
go through a glove or bunker gear," Jessop said.

Working in conjunction with the fire department is part of the NRPs ongoing
zero tolerance initiative targeting drug dealers.

Approximately 150 people have been arrested since the project was launched
in February.

Coates said there's a direct correlation between drugs and crime rates as
the majority of people who commit crimes such as robbery do so to get quick
cash to fuel a drug addiction.

By removing the source, he said, crime rates will drop.

"Because of our initiative we've capped the drug traffickers and broken the
cycle between the addict and the crime," Coates said.

Police vow to continue the crackdown.

Anyone with information on a suspected crack house is asked to call police
at 905-688-4111, ext. 2220 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.