DRUG CRIME STAT INCREASE GOOD NEWS: INSPECTOR

Charges: Cops Getting The Criminals Off The Streets

Drug-related crime appears to be on the increase in North Cowichan but
statistics don't always tell the whole story, RCMP Insp. Kevin Hewco
told North Cowichan Municipal Council during his second quarter report
Aug. 18.

"We want to focus on areas where we hope we can have a measurable
outcome. Crime reduction is one. Once we focus on the individuals
involved and apprehend them, it makes a big difference.

A spike in drug possession charges or even a decline in them can
result from pro-active enforcement, he said.

For example, if we stop a car on the highway for speeding and the
driver's got dope on him or he's smoking dope in the car, we get a
double stat there.

"Or we bring someone we've arrested for being intoxicated in a park
and also find drugs in their pocket when we book them in. That's what
adjusts those statistics," he said.

The situation with actual dealers always seems to be in
flux.

"There's always a bit of a turf war amongst them and it's again a
question of focusing resources. The next quarterly report in the fall
will be interesting because we'll have a closer look at whether our
summer policing initiative paid off," he said. Often a lot of charges
mean that police are applying themselves effectively.

"That's where our members are actually finding the extra time to
actually do that. Some of the charges may stem from dispatch calls but
most drug calls are based on information received. We don't always get
to work on them. I'm happy to see a slight increase in that area. It
shows we are having a little more time for these initiatives that
we're expected to be doing," Hewco said.