DRUG CRIMES ESCALATE IN REGION

Waterloo Region

Drug crimes are soaring faster here than almost anywhere else, even
as crime plummets overall.

A new national study shows the rate of drug crime rose 84 per cent in
the region between 1997 and 2007.

This increase, which was previously reported, has resulted in only a
medium level of drug crime compared to other cities. But the
escalation is dramatic.

Only three other cities in Canada saw drug crimes rise faster,
Statistics Canada found. They are Trois-Rivieres, Sudbury and Saint John, N.B.

Police say there's no need for public alarm. They say the figures
mostly reflect better enforcement and are only partly due to links to
the drug trade in greater Toronto.

"I think it's good news for us," said Insp. Steve Beckett of Waterloo
Regional Police. "It's not a reflection of how much drug use is in
our community. But it is a reflection of how much police enforcement
activity is taking place."

As police crack down, unreported drug crimes become offences and then
statistics, Beckett said.

The region saw 1,210 reported drug crimes in 2007. That's an average
of about three every day.

Two-thirds are cannabis-related, while cocaine accounts for one in
four. The vast majority are for possession, with just 14 per cent for
trafficking.

Waterloo Region ranked 14th out of 27 Canadian cities for its total
rate of drug crime in 2007. The rate remains 20 per cent below the
national average.

To combat drugs, Waterloo Regional Police have established squads to
investigate marijuana grow operations, the street-level drug trade
and organized crime.

"We've dedicated more resources to drug and gang enforcement than
ever before," Beckett said. "What you see is a measure of our effectiveness."