Assessing The War On Drugs:

RCMP CHIEF SAYS LACK OF FUNDS MEANS MOB `ON A ROLL'

Organized crime in Canada is now so pervasive that police have been reduced
to putting out isolated fires in a blazing underworld economy, says RCMP
Commissioner Philip Murray.

``While we're focusing all of our limited resources on the bikers, what's
happening with the Mafia? What's happening with Asian-based organized crime
and so on?

``They're on a roll. We're not resourced to really have a serious,
concerted attack on organized crime. If we're putting all of our focus on
one group, the rest of them have a free run.''

This is the first time the country's top policeman has publicly spoken
about the scope of the problem and the consequences, as he sees them, of
not launching a full counter-offensive.

``I think this is fundamentally, an extremely, extremely important issue.
From my perspective, it's our absolute top priority,'' said Commissioner
Murray, who spoke out during a wide-ranging interview about challenges
facing the Mounties as they celebrate their 125th anniversary.

Police and government officials have for years been warning about the
growing threat posed by organized crime, which costs the Canadian economy
billions of dollars a year.

Eighteen international crime groups are estimated to be operating in the
country, involved in smuggling, fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering
and other illegal activities

In recent years, the federal government has given police expanded powers to
go after mobsters, passing laws to prevent criminals from enjoying the
proceeds of their crime and to limit gang activities, and there have been
some notable police successes, especially against smugglers.

``But we're still putting out fires,'' concedes Commissioner Murray, who
has been leading the 21,000-strong force for four years.

The top organized-crime players have ``got to come to the realization that
Canada is not a place for them to do business, and we're far from there at
the moment.

``That's going to take people, highly trained and skilled, (and) different
kinds of resources. And it's going to take a lot of money.''

If not, he warns, organized crime ``will continue to grow, so there will be
a lot greater impact on legitimate business, a lot greater impact on the
overall tax base.

``The average citizen doesn't realize how pervasive the impact of organized
crime is at the community level. Because of organized crime, we have higher
taxes. We have businesses at a competitive disadvantage because others have
used laundered money to set up their competition.

``We're a trading country, so others have to have confidence in our ability
to be able to have not only a safe society, but a secure society in the
larger sense that, if you're going to invest money here, it's going to be
secure.

``While I may sound pessimistic, I really am optimistic that this is going
to work, that there's going to be a federal-provincial co-operative effort,
that the necessary resources are going to be put in place.''

Federal Solicitor General Andy Scott met with top law-enforcement officials
in April to devise a national strategy against organized crime. He has also
promised legislation to crack down on foreign criminals laundering money in
Canada.

Checked-by: Richard Lake