NEW POLICE PLAN FOR YOUTH

RCMP Look To Shift Focus To Drug Prevention

Selkirk's RCMP detachment is looking to change gears with a new
strategy to
target youth issues in its coverage area. Police are working to
develop a
plan to deal with youth drug use, Selkirk RCMP Insp. Garth Wright told
Selkirk council at Monday's meeting.

The plan would represent a shift in focus for the detachment, which
has previously been targeting youth property crimes like vandalism.

"This is a youth plan the detachment has in place to help to identify
and deal with the community's No. 1 concern with respect to youth,"
Wright said after the meeting.

He said police consultation with the community has indicated drugs
have supplanted property crime as the top concern and the detachment
wants to shift its focus to reflect that.

"I would suggest the lion's share of our property crime has been
driven by the drug theme," said Wright, who heads Selkirk's RCMP
detachment.

"People will do whatever it takes to get them."

Youth and community plans are part of a national emphasis toward
proactive policing measures, Wright said. Last year's property crimes
program contained a number of different facets, including
presentations to students, ensuring offenders were held to account for
their actions and a strong police presence at community agencies like
the Crime Prevention Council and Selkirk Team for At-Risk Teens.

Statistics indicate the plan was nothing less than a resounding
success.

Offences down

Though it was implemented across the detachment, the youth property
crimes strategy's results were particularly strong in Selkirk, where
the number of property crime offences dropped from 758 in 2004 to 441
in 2005. The clearance rate -- which involves solving an offence and
taking action to resolve the crime -- rose significantly over the year
in another positive development.

"You can't completely credit (the property crime reduction) to the
plan, but I believe we had somewhat of an effect," Wright said.

A plan to address youth drug use could include activities like a
renewed push for the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in
schools, he said.

Wright said that he's still in the process of gathering feedback about
the new plan and nothing is final at this point. The plan did receive
an enthusiastic thumbs-up at Monday's meeting, however.

"The use of these chemicals amongst the youth population has been
significant," Selkirk Mayor David Bell said. "From my perspective, I'm
glad to hear (about the plan). We'd love to be a crime-free community,
but we have to start by tackling our biggest problems first."

Other councillors voiced their support for the changes as the idea
went around the horn at the council table.

"I guess it's unanimous," Bell said. "Good call, Garth."