DRUG USERS RUINING PARK FOR EVERYONE

I am writing to seek assistance on how to deal with a problem a Bucci
Park in the Fleetwood area of Surrey.

Bucci Park is in the middle of three adjoining residential
subdivisions. There is no public parking and would be considered a
green space (with a small playground area) for the use of the local
residents.

Unfortunately it is also used as a location to buy and sell drugs and
as a spot for people to smoke dope. People travel to Bucci Park to
openly deal drugs and smoke pot. These are not people who live in the
adjoining subdivisions. What is worse is that this happens during
daylight hours when there are families with small children trying to
enjoy the area.

The reason why this park is attractive to people selling and using
drugs is that the area inside the park is difficult to see from the
road or from many houses as there is a lot of dense bush on the
perimeter of the park.

The Surrey RCMP know about these activities in Bucci Park. I suspect
their ability to enforce the law in Bucci Park is limited to showing
up after a resident has called to complain. By the time the RCMP
arrive the sellers and the smokers have long gone. I am not
criticizing the RCMP, just pointing out that there are many issues
that require their resources.

It is not enjoyable to use the park. There are sellers and smokers in
the park everyday making it uncomfortable to just walk through the
park. I often walk by people smoking marijuana and they make no
attempt to hide what they are doing.

Is creating a community block watch program the answer? Can the City
of Surrey and the Surrey RCMP assist the residents of the area tackle
this problem? Can the City of Surrey remove all of the dense perimeter
bush to make Bucci Park less attractive to the people that sell and
use drugs? I am hoping anyone that might read this can provide some
suggestions.

Dean Conte

Surrey