INSIDE CITY'S CRIMINAL CORE

Police have offered a rare glimpse into the criminal world at work in
Kamloops, one where drugs and weapons are increasingly coming into
play.

"When you think of our sleepy community, we definitely have organized
crime," RCMP Cpl. Sharon McWilliam said during a small gathering of
community agencies in Aberdeen this week.

It was one of three meetings organized to assist police in the
development of a five-year strategic plan.

McWilliam fills several roles with the RCMP, including crime analysis.
She presented crime trends for the last five years in Kamloops.

This was intended not to create panic or make a pitch for more
manpower, noted Supt. Jim Begley, but to present a realistic picture
of what the police deal with in the course of a year.

One overriding theme was drugs and their spillover effect.

In 2003, there was a significant spike in property crime, which police
partly traced back to the presence of a new group in Kamloops intent
on taking over the drug trade -- by force.

"There was a lot of extortion and intimidation," said McWilliam,
noting that violence went unreported.

"The victims (of violence) in this type of drug war were criminals
themselves," who resorted to more property crime to pay off debts or
face a beating, said McWilliam.

Police responded with a crackdown, and the next year, property crime
dropped by 16 per cent and closer to the level it had been in 2002.
Violent crime, however, has steadily climbed. More disconcerting is
the use of weapons.

In 2004, police dealt with 92 incidents where weapons were involved.
Preliminary numbers for last year show 173 such incidents.

Again, McWilliam pointed back to the prevalence of the drugs in the
community. Where there are drugs, she said, there's an escalation in
other crimes.

"We get [drug] tips every single day. We could triple and quadruple
our drug squad and have seizures every day. It's so prevalent."

And the drugs police deal with are more than the marijuana grow-ops
that garner publicity, but cocaine and crystal meth.

Given this, some of the discussion at the Aberdeen meeting revolved
around the drug addictions that trap many into a life of crime.

"Until we know how or what the solutions for addictions are, nothing
is going to change," said Sheila Loranger with the Y Women's Emergency
Shelter, adding it seems part of the answer is more money for treatment.

Others raised the issue of prevention, and the need for more police
liaison officers in the schools. There was also discussion around the
judicial system, and the seeming lack of consequences for offenders.

McWilliam even noted some offenders have told police the time they
spend in jail, if it's not lengthy, is considered the cost of doing
business.

The meetings this week with key stakeholders are intended to help
police develop crime-fighting priorities for the next five years.

Begley said police want to be accountable to the community and meet
its needs.