TARGET SERIOUS END OF DRUG SPECTRUM

Kingston Police Chief Stephen Tanner suggests that crime rates in
Kingston will rise because of an increase in drug enforcement.

Tanner is on the right track in bolstering the department's drug unit
and targeting drug crimes that he believes are linked to other
criminal acts, such as robberies.

The chief's comments about drug enforcement come on the heels of a
Statistics Canada report that Kingston had a drug offences rate well
below the national average. According to the report, the city's rate
was 209 incidents per 100,000, about 30% under the national rate.

But the chief warns that Kingston's rate will rise because "drug
offences are 100% driven by enforcement."

In fact, the chief is bracing the public for the possibility of
doubling the amount of drug charges because of the additional
officers. The upside is that public safety will improve in Kingston
if drug operations are shut down and hardened criminals taken off the streets.

It's not unlike the health-care system readjustments in recent years.
The provincial government targeted improvements in areas such as wait
times for certain procedures. By shifting resources into different
areas of specialization, wait times for some procedures are improved.

But shifting resources must be done for the right reasons and must
yield the intended results. In the case of Kingston Police, the same applies.

If the chief is reducing traffic patrols and transferring officers
into drug enforcement, that could be a wise decision. Drug crimes
have a greater impact on the community. We trust that Tanner is
redeploying resources effectively. After all, the police consistently
made a case in front of city council for more officers, so the
department has no surplus staff.

However, if the drug enforcement officers crack down on users and not
pushers, is the community being made safer? Drug enforcement should
be directed at users of hard drugs and dealers -- the more serious
end of the drug crime spectrum. Rounding up pot smokers will only
place an additional burden on the legal and justice systems and won't
thwart the root problem.

When the new StatsCan numbers are revealed, any increase in charges
should be in the correct categories.