POLICE READY FOR METH

Quesnel RCMP is prepared to combat a methamphatimine problem if the
cheap and powerful drug takes over as the drug of choice in town,
Quesnel city council heard on Monday.

Const. Gord Gill, the lone drug enforcement officer for the Quesnel
RCMP, spoke to council to provide an update on the illegal drug situation.

He said although crack cocaine is currently the drug of choice which
is driving much of the recent property crime in Quesnel, police
believe it's just a matter of time until meth takes over because of
its inexpensive price and long-lasting high compared to crack.

"We have numerous crack cocaine dealers in this town," Gill said, "I
reiterate, we do have a crack cocaine problem in Quesnel, but we do
not have a meth problem."

Gill said dealers in the past have tried to sell methamphetamine in
Quesnel but they're usually busted right away.

"If there is a dealer in town, within a week we'll find out about it
and get a warrant. We see it as a ticking time bomb."

A methamphetamine can cost as little as $10 to $15 and the high can
last as long as eight to 10 hours depending on the purity. The high
from crack cocaine can dissipate in as little as 15 minutes.