POLICE GETTING HOT TIPS FROM DRUG HOUSE HOTLINE

Dozens of residents have called a new police hotline to report drug
houses in their neighbourhoods.

The hotline, was set up a month ago to give citizens an
avenue to report suspicious drug-related activity in southside
communities.

In the first couple of days, the hotline, located out of the South
Division station, received 50 calls.

"There was a fleury at first," says Const. Maurice Brodeur, a
community programs officer for the division.

Of the those first 50 calls, 13 originated from the west and north
divisions, which don't have a hotline. Intelligence analysts in those
stations will still review the calls.

"But now, we've got 50 solid (calls) on the southside so far," says
Brodeur.

All the tips are for new drug houses the police didn't have files on.
"Most of them sound legit," says Brodeur.

One of his jobs as a community programs officer is to shut down drug
houses in south Edmonton.

"So, I've got a lot of work ahead of me," he says. The houses are
scattered throughout various neighbourhoods.

Police are compiling the information provided by callers in a
database, doing background checks on the addresses and gathering
intelligence, says Brodeur.

Police will prioritize which homes to focus their attention on
first.

"So far, I've put 42 on my active list," says Brodeur.

South Division has started a new initiative to shut down drug houses
where illegal substances, like crystal meth, are being sold.

Police are concerned about the increasing number of drug-related
crimes in south Edmonton. In communities where drug houses are
located, crime often goes up.

Police have begun using unconventional tools in their fight to drive
drug houses out, such as working with bylaw enforcement to fine owners
for unsightly yards, bringing in health inspectors to have run-down
properties condemned or helping landlords evict drug-dealing tenants.
Using these methods, police shut down six drug houses in South
Division over the spring and summer months.

Citizens who call the hotline are asked to describe the address of the
suspected drug houses and any unusual activity on the premises, such
as increased traffic, black-out windows or large amounts of garbage.
The hotline is now averaging a couple of calls a day, he says.

South Division has also put out a brochure giving citizens advice on
how to spot drug houses and what to do if they suspect their next door
neighbour is selling drugs. Brochures are available at all
south-division police stations.