PUBLIC NEEDS TO STEP UP IN DRUG WAR

Law enforcement officials are doing the right thing by trying to get
the public more involved in the war against illegal drugs. Last week,
a city-led collection of agencies known as the Edmonton Stop Marijuana
Grow Ops Coalition encouraged residents to keep their eyes open for
dope growers in their neighbourhoods, unveiling a new brochure with
tips of how to spot pot houses.

The initiative echoes a similar project in south Edmonton, where
police have already set up a hotline and distributed a brochure of
their own to encourage people to report suspected drug houses that may
be setting up shop in their communities.

While police have always been willing to take tips from concerned
residents, the latest campaigns are a direct appeal to the public and
an attempt to put more ownership of the problem back in the hands of
everyday citizens. By making more information available and by making
it easier to report suspicious behaviour, police are hoping to empower
residents to do the right thing and play a small, but vital role in
helping clean up their streets.

It makes sense that law enforcement officials want to recruit as many
allies as possible to help weed illegal drug operations in the city.
Police simply can't be everywhere at once.

And with the city's population over 700,000, there should be no
shortage of eyes and ears willing to help the cops.

After all, it isn't just police who have to deal with the effects of
the drug trade.

Local residents are the ones who lose their sense of security when a
drug house sets up in their neighbourhood. They are the people who are
at risk of becoming a victim of drug-related crimes, whether that be
violence or theft of property by addicts looking for a way to get cash
for their next fix.

It is their children who could stumble across discarded needles lying
in a playground or alley.

It is their health and safety that are put at risk by drug
manufacturing operations, especially those involving crystal
methamphetamine, which are an enormous hazard because of the volatile
chemicals used.

The benefits of cooperating with police are obvious.

And, it hasn't taken long to prove the public appeal strategy has real
merit.

The southside police drug house hotline has already fielded dozens of
calls within the first month of operation, including 50 within the
first few days.

Most of the tips have identified locations that were not on the police
list of suspected houses, and could represent a large number of new
leads.

Those are the kinds of results police were hoping for and a testament
to Edmontonians willing to do their part to make this city a safer and
better place to call home.