OTTAWA POLICE SAY NO TO DRUG-SEARCH SIGNS

Residents Are Usually Well-Informed About Problems In Community:
Official

Ottawa police are not considering adopting a controversial new program run
by Cornwall police in which signs are placed on lawns of homes where drug
search warrants are executed, the head of the drug section said yesterday.

Staff Sgt. Pete Gauthier said Ottawa residents are often aware when a
drug warrant is executed in their neighbourhoods.

"When we do crackhouses, there's certainly an abundance of activity in
the neighbourhood," he said, adding the force is not looking at
undertaking a measure such as the Cornwall police sign initiative at
this time.

"Our complaints for the crackhouses are really coming from within the
community, so the community (members) are the ones that are reporting
this to us and we're acting on their information," Staff Sgt. Gauthier
said.

Cornwall police Chief Daniel Parkinson has said his force's sign
program is meant to notify residents and increase the force's presence
in the community.

On Wednesday, Cornwall police placed the first sign at a home after
officers seized marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and OxyContin, and
arrested and charged four men.

The province's information and privacy commissioner, Ann Cavoukian, is
now investigating the practice, which has been criticized by civil
liberties group members because of concerns that it may be overbroad
and cause stigma.

Yesterday, Chief Parkinson stood behind the program, saying it will
continue and a new sign could go up as early as next week.

"Until somebody tells me that I've done something illegal or this is
an illegal strategy, then it's business as usual for me," he said.

"The privacy commissioner can investigate if she wishes, but until I'm
told I've transgressed some regulation or privacy law, I'm intent on
fulfilling our strategy here." Chief Parkinson said he had received
"nothing but calls of support" from other police chiefs, his police
services board and residents.

He had not received legal opinion on the issue, calling it "patently
permissible" and noting that police routinely provide media with
details and names of people accused of crimes.

"There's no argument about the presumption of innocence or guilt when
you put a name out there and say a person's been arrested and charged.
This is no different.

"This is just saying there has been a police action, it happens to be
a drug search warrant executed," Chief Parkinson said.

Staff Sgt. Gauthier said the court system plays a role after the
execution of a warrant.

He said Ottawa police placed signs on the homes of dismantled
marijuana grow operations as recently as about two years ago.

Now, the force lists the addresses of dismantled marijuana grow
operations and clandestine crystal meth labs on its website for three
months after a bust.

"The marijuana grow-ops are a real nuisance in the community," Staff
Sgt. Gauthier said, adding that the homes can often present safety
problems and can go undetected by people living in
neighbourhoods.

Investigations into grow operations can also be lengthy, he
said.

"We post them on the site so that people are aware that we're
targeting them, and they're aware that in their community there have
been marijuana grows," Staff Sgt. Gauthier said.

Yetserday, Cornwall police released information about seizures made
during the warrant execution on Wednesday, saying they seized one pill
each of OxyContin and ecstasy, along with marijuana with an estimated
street value of $380 and cocaine with an estimated value of $120.