THEFTS AND DRUG CRIMES UP 30% IN 2009

Drug-related offences increased substantially in Nanaimo during 2009,
according to statistics released by the RCMP on Monday.

Drug trafficking and drug production were up considerably, as were
crimes linked with drug use, such as shoplifting and theft from
automobiles, said Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O'Brien. Thefts
from automobiles increased 25% while incidents of shoplifting were up
30%. Arrests for drug trafficking saw a 17% increase, while arrests
for producing drugs jumped 15%.

"Often, drug-addicted street criminals regularly target motor vehicles
to break into," he said. "Items such as GPS units and small change are
then quickly handed over for drugs."

On any given night in the city, as many as 10 to 20 vehicles will be
broken into, said O'Brien.

Criminals are stealing from retail stores more than breaking into
homes because penalties for shoplifting do not deter them, said
O'Brien. "The risk of detection for shoplifting is less and the
sentences being doled out by the courts is considerably less than what
would be given out for breaking into a home."

O'Brien credits the work of Nanaimo's municipal drug squad and green
teams for the increase in arrests.

An increase in manpower to Nanaimo's traffic section and initiatives
like the Report Impaired Drivers program helped increase the number of
impaired drivers police took off the road last year by 30%.

After seeing the success of the Bait Car Program and RID, O'Brien
expressed confidence that other initiatives enacted by police last
year will get more criminals off city streets. "We are always striving
to do better, that's the nature of police work."

O'Brien said that with a planned increase in the number of police
officers this year and initiatives already in place, "2010 will not be
a good year for criminals operating in Nanaimo."

Police were unable to provide specific crime totals in each category
for 2009.