POLICE TO HEAD UP DRUG FIGHT COMMITTEE BID

The City Police Force Will Now Strike A Committee To Look At Battling
Drugs In Peterborough

At Tuesday morning's Police Services Board meeting, Police Chief
Terry McLaren said it was up to city council to create a committee to
examine and tackle drug use in Peterborough.

However, on Thursday, the force announced that Deputy-Chief Ken
Jackman will now create such a committee.

On Monday, city council passed a motion, put forward by Town Ward
Councillor Bill Juby, that requested city police create such a
committee. At Tuesday's meeting, Chief McLaren had said that he was
willing to work with such a committee but it was up to council to
create it. The sudden change is not really a change at all, says
Deputy-Chief Jackman. He explains council may not be able to tell the
Police Services Board what to do but that doesn't mean suggestions
from politicians aren't taken into serious consideration.

"It's the whole idea of community policing. It doesn't matter how it
got going."

Deputy-Chief Jackman will now contact groups and organizations with
an interest in coming up with a strategy to tackle drug use. No date
has been set for the committee's first meeting but Deputy-Chief
Jackman is hoping the group can meet by early March.