Q&A ON CRIME WITH YVES LACASSE

Kamloops Mounties have been busy in recent months busting a number of
grow-ops in the Kamloops area. The raids have also recovered thousand
of dollars worth of stolen goods and a sizable cache of weapons.

RCMP Insp. Yves Lacasse, who is in charge of operations at the local
detachment, sat down with KTW to discuss the recent work by police and
organized crime in Kamloops.

Q: There have been a number of large busts in the last few months in
the Kamloops area. Why have there been so many?

A: I would argue that it's not recent. If you look at the pattern of
our detachment, you can go back five years. Over the last five years,
we've come back to the community to talk about significant seizures in
Kamloops. I don't think it's just recent.

Q: What do these busts have in common?

A: Everything that involves guns and drugs, there is a link to
organized crime. In the last couple of years, we had a significant
project on the Independent Soldiers. We saw some members of that group
go to jail for lengthy periods of time.

What that does is it created opportunities for others to come here and
try to move their product into this community. If the Independent
Soldiers were here before, moving a large amount of drugs, obviously
there is a demand.

What we've done is encouraged [RCMP] members to go to the community
and find information to help us with our investigations.

I'd like to think we have a very good idea of what's going on in
town.

Q: What has the arrest and conviction of Independent Soldiers Kamloops
leader Jayme Russell and his associates meant for organized crime in
Kamloops?

A: The intelligence we've heard, it sent a strong message to criminals
throughout the province and in Kamloops that we're going to do
whatever it takes to take that filth off our street. We're talking
about people getting young people involved in drugs. There's nothing
good about these people.

We're going to do whatever it takes to continue to fight these people.
We'll disrupt their markets, take their assets - homes and cars - if
they want to waste their lives and be part of a network like this.

Q: There have been reports that Lower Mainland gangs are turning to
the Interior to set up shop. Has that already happened and, if not,
how do you ensure that doesn't occur in Kamloops?

A: If we see drugs in our community right now or at any time, that's
because of a direct link with organized crime. Have they come here?
Yes, I can tell you that we have intelligence to say that some of them
have come to Kamloops in recent months. Have they stayed here
permanently? No, not yet.

Whenever they come here, we try to make their lives uncomfortable.
These folks are not welcome.

Q: Can you update the investigation into the murders of Kenneth Yaretz
and Damien Marks, whose bodied were found on a Knouff Lake property in
May 2009?

A: I can't tell you too much. What I can tell you is that we are very
involved in the investigation. It is not in boxes and on a shelf.

We're very active. This investigation is moving along quite nicely. We
believe we're heading in the right direction.

Q: What is your thought on a regional marijuana-enforcement and
grow-op team?

A: Quite often we do have discussions at the management level to talk
about regional task forces.

When that happens, I have to assess what it's going to bring to
Kamloops and the kind of results and impact it will have on the community.

Before I commit financially and through human resources, I want to
make sure there's going to be a direct impact on Kamloops - and if
they can't guarantee that, I'm not going to give up the resource.

We're using our resources wisely in tow. I think we're on the right
track. It's only an early-stage discussion.

Q: How do you mark the success of the RCMP in fighting organized crime
in Kamloops?

A: We have a few success stories where we know some people heavily
involved in drugs have left the drug trade. When that happens, that's
a wonderful story.

And, for those who decide they don't want to be part of that group,
success can be measured by arrests and jail terms.

I think the support from the community and courts - we've been very
successful. I think the sentences we've seen locally have been very
appropriate.

I have demands on our drug people [officers]. I hold them
accountable.

I want to make sure the number of busts from one year to another
doesn't stay the same.

I demand the intelligence we get from the community is up to
date.

Sometimes, you measure your success by comparing yourself to other
communities.

The feedback I get is there's just too much heat by the police,
there's just too much pressure by the police in Kamloops.

They're not going to take the risk and sell their drugs here if they
know there's a great chance they're going to be captured.

Q: What's your personal opinion on marijuana prohibition?

A: There's different schools of thought, but, being in law
enforcement, my opinion isn't based on the use of marijuana.

My opinion is based on my experience as a police officer and what I
have seen marijuana do, in terms of a direct connection to organized
crime.

A lot of people argue that if marijuana was legal, it would solve all
of these problems, I argue against that.

There is an incredible amount of money involved in the production and
distribution of marijuana.

Organized crime is driven by greed. Even if it was legal, somehow
these people would still be involved in the trade.

I've seen a lot of bad stuff involved with drugs, I have a very black
and white stance on the illegal drug trade.

Drugs negatively impact our communities.

I would like to see [drug dealers] put on a pair of work boots and go
get a real job.

Many of these young guys think it's cool to be a drug dealer until
they get caught or until they get killed.