DRUG DEALERS ARE DIFFICULT TO OUST

When apartment buildings have housed drug dealers, it is tough to
change the situation and the reputation.

One North Island apartment building is trying to do just that.

"Right now, we are doing a major cleanup and have some work done,"
says the manager of the building. "We would like to attract a better
clientele. We are really working hard to change the reputation of the
building."

That reputation the apartment had includes tenants who are drug
dealers, with customers coming and going at all hours of the day and
night. But now the manager says they check references and have served
eviction notices when necessary.

"Some landlords lie about a past tenant to get them out," says the
manager about checking references. "So one is going to slip in now and then."

That's one of the reasons managers have begun to band together to
solve the problem. A Port McNeill man is trying to rally North Island
apartment managers to work together, while some Port Hardy managers
have appealed to police.

"I have met with several strata council members who, on their own,
contacted me," says Port Hardy RCMP Staff Sgt. Chris Stewart.
"Together we are strategizing to come up with viable ways to deal
with the issues."

Stewart has requested information from the Drug Awareness Organized
Crime Section of the RCMP, and he has assigned a constable as a liaison.

"That's how seriously we're taking this," says Stewart. But he adds
RCMP cannot solve the problem alone. He encourages tenants and
managers to call with information and advises managers to have
cameras installed in buildings.

"When tenants call we gather the information. We use that information
to gather evidence. To gather enough evidence to satisfy the court,
we need assistance from the community," explains Stewart. "Every bit
of information adds to the final story."

But waiting for the happy ending can be frustrating. One couple who
believe a drug dealer lives in their building, live in fear because
of the people coming and going at all times of the day and night.

"I've had people just walk into my apartment," says the Port Hardy
woman. "We've called the police, but they say they need more complaints."

She has also called the landlord, who has evicted the tenant, but
that isn't a quick solution either.

"Landlords have to abide by the Tenant Act," says Stewart. "There is
a component of the act regarding eviction and they must follow it."

The eviction process includes giving the tenant ample opportunity to
find other shelter and the right to appeal. "We can't just throw
people out in the street," says Stewart. "Everyone has rights."

While RCMP do not actually evict people, they will attend a building
during an eviction to maintain the peace, says Stewart.