WHAT THE BIG BUST REALLY MEANS

A submachine gun is found in a hotel room with a stash of
cocaine.

A woman is struck by a bottle and robbed of $500 cash as she walks
downtown.

Two kids have their Halloween candy snatched as they trick or treat in
the east end.

Does this sound like the city of Peterborough? Well, it
is.

It's been a strange few days as police chase search for suspects in
this odd variety of cases. In the most serious case, officers managed
to seize the guns and the drugs before anyone got hurt or high. We
haven't seen fire power like this before but it sure opened our eyes.

Citizens here are already on edge after the vicious assault on a
four-year-old girl in Woodville two weeks ago. And the disturbing
testimony arising from the Russell Williams sentencing have many of us
locking our doors more carefully than we used to.

Police tell us over and over again that the simple precautions protect
us. Lock your car. Pay attention to people around you. Don't carry
large amounts of cash around.

We're not blaming the people who get assaulted. We just know that the
easier the mark, the more likely a criminal will take advantage of a
situation.

If the story on the front page of today's edition makes you
uncomfortable, that's good. We should all be concerned that more
serious weapons are being picked up in a drug raid in this city.
Police worry the bigger guns could be used against them or the
civilians they are hired to protect.

If they're worried, we should be too.

Ultimately, the growing drug trade here is making the situation worse.
People who want quick money for drugs are breaking into houses to get
items they can sell on the street and then ingest to get high. They
are targeting pedestrians who look vulnerable. Anyone could be a
target if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The bigger players have larger stakes at play, so they are protecting
their turf and making sure their peons stay in line.

If you want to be part of the solution, report things that you know
are wrong. Crime prevention begins with every family that is realistic
about the dangers and on every street where people want their children
to be safe.

We may see this as a big city problem, but it has moved into our
neighbourhoods. Don't kid yourself that this case was isolated to a
motel by a group of people passing through.

"Is this just the tip of the iceberg? Is there more
coming?"

The police think so.

Why should we disagree?