LOCAL DRUG TRADE GROWING DRAMATICALLY, POLICE BOARD TOLD

Since 2002, Detective Constable Scott Bambridge of the Cobourg Police
Service has watched a change in the drug trade in Cobourg with the
growth in the sale of cocaine in various forms, along with the sale of
opiates, he says.

Gang-style drug dealing has moved in from the Greater Toronto Area and
with it, smash and grabs, violence and weapons, he said during a
special report to members of the Cobourg Police Services Board last
Thursday.

Not only are young people buying, using and getting addicted, but
middle-aged people are getting hooked and losing their homes and
businesses as they try to sustain $500-to-$1,000-a-day drug habits,
the officer said during his very sobering presentation.

"Cocaine is quickly become the largest problem on the street," he
said.

Charges of possession of cocaine have increased from two in 2005 to 30
so far this year, he said.

In a series of photos of drug scenes, many taken in local hotel rooms,
Detective Constable Bambridge pointed out baseball bats, flick knives,
replica handguns, uncapped needles, wads of cash in $50 and $100
denominations, weigh scales, baking soda (used as a cutting agent for
cocaine), pressure cookers (for cooking up crack cocaine), body
armour, portable safes, the prescription drug Oxycontin, Phenetol
patches (cut up into 100 slices and put under the tongue to get a
high), shaving cans, pop cans and food stuffs (to hide drugs),
cocaine, crack cocaine, morphine tablets crushed and liquefied to make
"hillbilly heroin", harvested marijuana buds and growing marijuana
plants. There were also police scanners, cell phones and electronic
goods.

Previously, drug dealers in Cobourg would have centralized locations
for their stuff and cash, easier for police to swoop down on. But the
gang influence has resulted in the practice of maintaining multiple
locations from which they cut, cook and distribute drugs. This is not
just to avoid police detection but to protect their drugs and money
from competing drug dealers, Detective Constable Bambridge explained.

The resulting violence is why drug dealers are using body armour, some
of it police issue, to protect themselves. It's also the reason for
the increase in weapons at these working and dealing sites, he reported.

"Drug dealers are trying to rip each other off," Detective Constable
Bambridge said.

"These people are very ruthless," added Sergeant Terry Demill, who was
assisting in the presentation to board members.

Along with various types of cocaine sales, crystal meth is a growing
concern in areas west of here and its distribution is moving this way,
he said.

"It is very cheap to manufacture... and it's very, very addictive,"
Sergeant Demill said.

Another source of the increased violence is those who are addicted,
stealing to feed their habits.

CDs, electronic products and other goods are a sort of currency which
the drug dealers take from their customers for drugs and then turn
into cash at pawn shops. Home invasions could result from drug dealers
attempting to raid each other or addicts looking for items to pay for
their drugs, Detective Constable Bambridge said.

The result is a more dangerous situation for officers and the
community at large, he said.

The drug trade is lucrative, with huge returns -- and for that reason
people are willing to take the associated risks. For example, buying
an ounce of cocaine for about $1,200 at this time can make about
$1,800 in profit by the dealer who sells it by the gram --
significantly more, if they can afford buy a larger quantity at the
wholesale price.

Police board chair Bryan Baxter asked Cobourg Police Chief Paul Sweet
to address whether "Cobourg citizens should be unduly concerned," and
the chief said the drug problem is not localized in Cobourg; police
forces are working together on it.

"These are not scare tactics," Chief Sweet said, "(but) we're not
burying our heads in the sand."

It's not just a young person's crime any more, he said. Middle-aged
people are getting addicted. Businesses are failing and people are
losing their homes.

Board member Stan Frost asked what people should watch for and was
told that if they see a lot of traffic into and out of a house, or
different people staying just short periods of time, they should
contact the local police or Crime Stoppers.

"We need a starting point," Detective Constable Bambridge said, and
the public can help.

Board members were told that the charges laid are just hitting the tip
of the iceberg in Cobourg's drug trade.

Chief Sweet said media advertising puts out the message that "little
blue pills" can address everyone's problems and make them feel good,
and that society must address this issue related to substance abuse,
whether it's alcohol or street or prescription drugs.

As well, parents must talk to their youngsters about drugs. If you
wait until you think there might be a problem, it's too late, Chief
Sweet said.