POLICE LAUNCH THE LATEST DOWNTOWN CRIME BLITZ

The recent warm spring weather means the break for RCMP downtown
patrols is over, if they ever got one.

Supt. Bill McKinnon said a spring blitz began Thursday with a sweep of
downtown parks.

"We have enhanced our police in the downtown core because of issues we
have been trying to deal with," he said. In a word: drugs.

Crack cocaine is still the drug of choice, the commodity for most
dealers peddling rocks in plain view downtown. The RCMP was hoping to
get a jump on it Thursday when forces moved in.

The enforcement unit's four officers will be bolstered by officers
from the drug section, property crimes section and the new Gator
all-terrain vehicle, as well as general duty officers.

"We're beginning to see more movement in the downtown of the
criminally transient and the numbers have increased in the last week
or two, " said McKinnon