METH WATCH TASK FORCE LOOKING AT WAYS TO LIMIT DRUG RELATED
SALES

Even before the spectre of crack pipes in Surrey corner stores hit the
media last week, local community police were thinking about ways to
limit the sale of drug-related items in local stores.

Jodie McNeice, manager of the Port Coquitlam community police
stations, said the Meth Watch Task Force has discussed having
volunteers go door-to-door to local businesses to educate as part of
the Meth Watch program.

"As a followup, we were thinking of sending volunteers out to where we
think they're selling that kind of thing," McNeice said. "If there's a
few, we can have discussions about it as opposed to drafting a bylaw."

She said it's about being a responsible member of the
community.

The NOW randomly visited five corner and dollar stores in Port
Coquitlam and didn't see any obvious signs of crack pipe sales.

McNeice said that although she's not sure if it's a big issue, it
doesn't mean the pipes aren't being sold.

"We've had no complaints from the public, but we're sure they're out
there," she said. "Now that it's being talked about, we might as well
take a look and see if we have an issue here.

"It's certainly been something we've discussed with protective
services."

The City of Port Coquitlam protective services committee has
instructed staff to prepare a bylaw that will aim at limiting the sale
of products used to make meth and to require participation in the
current Meth Watch program by relevant businesses.

The committee has not yet discussed the restriction of the sale of
drug paraphernalia.

"As far as sale of products, with pipes, there's nothing in the works
at the moment," McNeice said.

The Meth Task Force will be formalizing recommendations, which would
include the limiting of the sale of such products if it's felt to be
worthy of further consideration.

"The volunteers enjoy that kind of getting out in the community,"
McNeice said. "It's just good for us to be out in the community."

Griff Simmonds, manager of Coquitlam community police stations, said
he hasn't heard of any crack pipes in Coquitlam corner stores either,
and can't remember seeing them when he has visited stores.

But, he said, "It wouldn't surprise me."

Coquitlam is in the midst of setting up its own Meth Watch program,
and Simmonds said educating store owners and clerks about what they
are selling is part of the program.

He said that if talking specifically about drug paraphernalia is not
part of the program, it's something to look at adding.

"Some owners honestly don't know what they're selling," he
said.

A similar tactic of going around to stores and educating as part of a
Meth Watch program was used in Maple Ridge this spring.

Members of the city's Meth Task Force walked around with the mayor and
visited shops that were selling drug paraphernalia as part of a
crystal meth campaign.

Stores were asked to voluntarily remove the materials within 30 days,
or there would be additional "inspections."

"If the citizens boycott these stores, or protest in front of them,
the drug paraphernalia will be gone," said Fred Armstrong, a Meth Task
Force member, in an e-mail. "Another method is to specifically change
the business licence regulations to allow the council to shut down
businesses that sell these things."