MORE HEROIN ON STREETS

Police Observe 'A Bit Of A Comeback' After Month-Long Sweep Of
Dealers

While the usual mix of drugs were seized in a month-long sweep of
dealers in Parkdale, Chinatown and Kensington Market, police noticed,
at least anecdotally, there's more heroin on the streets.

It appears the dragon is making a comeback on Toronto streets, said
Toronto Police Det. Karen Chapman, while reviewing the results of
Project Escape.

Undercover cops seized 56 grams of heroin during the project which was
launched on June 8.

"I would say it seems as if it is," she said. "Based on our
observation, it seems as if heroin is making a bit of a comeback."

Det.-Sgt. Brian Kelly said when police score a few cocaine and crack
seizures, something else then fills the void for addicts and dealers,
including heroin.

76 ARRESTS

In late June, police seized 510 grams of heroin in a separate
project.

Investigators in Project Escape focused on the King and Dufferin Sts.
area, King and Strachan Ave., Queen St. and Lansdowne Ave., Spadina
Ave. and Dundas St., and Kensington.

Police also seized 492 grams of cocaine, 611 grams of marijuana and
hashish, 164 OxyContin pills, 50 grams of Ketamine and 113 grams of
Ecstasy.

Police raided three homes, on Keele St., on Dupont St. and in
Parkdale, targeting suppliers to the street-level dealers.

The officers also added up the criminal history of the 76 people
arrested during the course of the project, including three who were
arrested in the early days and then re-arrested after getting bail.

The group have a total of 1,822 convictions for an average of 24 per
person, Chapman said.

She said among the 76, there are 56 separate bail orders, and 21
people were on probation.

COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS

Chapman said the project was launched because of community complaints
about the drug trade in their neighbourhoods.

The suspects now face another 202 offences, including those relating
to narcotics, breaches of various releases and proceeds of crime.

Chapman said residents complained about dealers and buyers "taking
over neighbourhoods.

"Residents of the neighbourhood, they look out their windows, their
kids are playing in the yards and someone is doing a drug deal right
in front on the sidewalk," she said. "They live there, their families
are there and they don't want to have this in their face."

Chapman said the hand-to-hand action between dealer and user is so
quick and subtle that most observers wouldn't know a transaction occurred.