COPS ENCOURAGE DRUG ABUSE ISSUES TO BE BROUGHT "OUT OF THE SHADOWS"

"There's fear, there's anger, there's a bunch of different emotions"
swirling around the community regarding concerns about illicit drug
use on Bowen Island. Many citizens would agree with that assessment of
the current climate, made by Corporal Dan Guilfoyle this week.

Rumours of a spike in the availability and abuse of illegal substances
have been flying around the island. Youth are chatting on MSN,
spreading news regarding juicy tidbits they picked up on the ferry.
Parents are stopping each other in the schoolyards, seeking
verification of stories and innuendo. There's talk on the street about
who's using, who's selling and who's fingering whom. Meanwhile, it's
hard to sift out the truth from the misinformation, the distortions
and exaggerations that typically accompany gossip of any type.

In a candid interview this week, Cpl. Guilfoyle talked about the
reality, as he sees it, of Bowen's drug problem, and what the police
are doing to address it. Guilfoyle says he believes it's a benefit
that the community is "bringing things out of the shadows" by talking
about drug use and abuse.

He expects the message that "the pot's being stirred, not only by us,
but by the community" will spur action resulting in positive results.
Rather than fomenting fear and frustration, he hopes that a frank
discussion of the issue will bring about potential solutions.

Cpl. Guilfoyle, who took over as the local RCMP detachment head this
past summer, said that police have known that drugs have had a
presence on Bowen for a long time. The challenge faced by the local
law enforcement agency is to identify what drugs are here now, in what
quantities, and their availability.

Marijuana is probably the most widespread illegal substance, said
Guilfoyle. The police have routinely confiscated pot, mostly from
younger teens. However they've also made a number of small seizures of
marijuana plants from residents. "It certainly wasn't young people
cultivating that." He concludes that marijuana use spans all ages.

Cocaine is another drug that he's come across during local
investigations. A little more expensive, he said, it tends to be a
drug of choice of older teens or young adults. MDMA, or Ecstasy, as it
is known on the street, is a synthetic psychoactive drug that is
relatively cheap and easily obtainable. Guilfoyle says knowledge of it
has come across his desk through a particular situation involving
young people.

As for heroin, he says he has not yet seen it surface on Bowen. The
same is true, he says, in regards to Crystal methamphetamine. This
drug, a synthetic stimulant that is typically smoked and can be
injected, has garnered a lot of attention from the media and health
agencies alarmed about it's potency and highly addictive qualities.

Based on what he knows and understands about the drug, Guilfoyle casts
some doubt on whether it is being used on Bowen. Readily admitting
that he is not an expert in drug awareness nor enforcement, he says
there are certain telltale signs that accompany this type of drug use.
Information he has received indicates that if there were individuals
in the community getting high on crystal meth, there would be numerous
instances where "we would be involved in violent confrontations with
these people." It would be obvious.

On the other hand, Guilfoyle cautioned, "I think it would be safe to
assume that any drug they have over there, we have potentially over
here."

As for who is bringing drugs in from the mainland and supplying the
local market, the corporal said police are trying to determine just
that. At this point, they've made no arrests. "We have done some work,
we are still doing more work. We are not satisfied where we are in
regard to those investigations, so there's much more work to be done."

Guilfoyle says the focus has been on the "three pillars of drug
strategy" which include prevention, enforcement and treatment.
Prevention has been centered around education, with such initiatives
as the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.

It's a good program, says Guilfoyle, a "step in the right direction."
But clearly "DARE alone can't prevent your kid from getting into drugs."

The attitude of acceptance of illegal drug use, and alcohol
consumption for that matter, is a contributing problem too, said
Guilfoyle. The premise that marijuana is a "gateway" drug and leads to
use of more potent substances is often challenged. However, regardless
of what you believe, said Guilfoyle, "the chances are good, that if
you never use marijuana, you're not likely to use cocaine or heroin
down the line."

Guilfoyle says he is a firm believer that "if we can affect the
demand, the supply is going to be affected. People have pointed out
that if Bowen was somehow exempt from having any drug dealers, there's
no guarantee that kids or adults here couldn't obtain drugs, said the
corporal. "That's the reality that is faced everywhere today."

In terms of treatment, Guilfoyle says he is very impressed by members
within the community who are former addicts and who are willing to
offer support and guidance to those trying to kick self-destructive
habits. "I've heard many positives about people and I want to commend
them. I think they are the ones who can really relate to those with
[drug] problems."

As for enforcement, Guilfoyle says, "Are we happy at this point?
Certainly not." The corporal says the local detachment is analyzing
its strategy and is in the process of formulating more plans. They've
been in touch with officers from the North Vancouver drug section, and
have spoken extensively to Richard DeJong. DeJong is an RCMP officer
who lives on the island who was formerly a member of the local
detachment and is very much involved in drug enforcement issues.

"I'd love to have," said Cpl. Guilfoyle, "I'd love to have whoever the
kingpin drug dealer in the community is in custody and charged. Will
that happen overnight? Will it happen? There's no guarantee, but we'll
keep plugging away."

The police officer says that on many occasions the RCMP office has
received a lot of calls and been visited by concerned citizens who
hear through the grapevine or other sources that a particular person
may be involved in the drug trade and drug trafficking. Guilfoyle
would neither confirm nor deny whether police are in possession of a
list of names of possible drug pushers on the island.

However he did say that the number of names of "potential or suspected
or rumoured drug dealers" that have surfaced has surprised him.
"Without substantial evidence or proof, it's an awful thing to
suggest," he said.

However, in the case of a number of people, and some of the names that
have come up, the police have taken direct action. Guilfoyle said the
decision was made to specifically confront those people.

"Some of those people will have divulged to us they are indeed users,
some have denied any sort of implication in drugs whatsoever, and
certainly none have 'fessed up to being traffickers or dealers, which
isn't a surprise. But that was one tactic we have taken."

Guilfoyle says there have taken other approaches as well, including
having officers work in plainclothes, surveillance of certain areas
and similar types of intelligence gathering. However, he hesitated to
get too far into details because "there are some things in policing
that require a degree of secrecy." At the same time, he thinks it is
important that the public be aware of what's going on.

The question of what the community can do is something Guilfoyle has
been asked repeatedly. His says there are unique challenges in drug
enforcement in a small, close knit community like Bowen. The drug
dealer and the drug user is almost an unknown in the city, said
Guilfoyle. It's more anonymous. But on Bowen, there isn't that mystery
as to who is involved.

"The rumoured dealer," said the police officer, "is someone you might
have gone to school with or you've known for years and years." People
are reluctant to divulge details about certain incidences because it
might involve someone they are familiar with. At the same time some of
those who are willing to speak up may be afraid to do so because of
potential consequences.

"To an extent, I think that hinders us in getting specific
information," said Guilfoyle.

Guilfoyle says he would like to ask the community to report to police
if they see suspicious acts or activities taking place on the island.
He suggests people take a look at the RCMP drug awareness website and
read up about the indicators of the existence of clandestine lab sites
or marijuana "grow houses" in residential neighbourhoods.

"Do I think there are marijuana grow operations on the island? There
must be. Guaranteed, I would say. Would I suspect there are any labs?
While I don't have any direct evidence, the potential is there."

Cpl. Guilfoyle will be one of the invited speakers to sit on a panel
at a town hall meeting, organized jointly by the Parks and Recreation
Department and the Youth Outreach Worker, scheduled for Thursday,
October 20 at the municipal hall. The intent of the evening is to
explore the myths and realities about drug use on Bowen and develop
ideas about what the community can do to address issues. Other
panelists who will attend the discussion include Sally Hamel from the
North Shore Substance Abuse Task Force, Constable Richard DeJong, Ben
Tamblyn, Bowen's youth outreach worker, and a representative from the
Orchard Recovery Centre.

Officer DeJong will also host an information evening titled Drug
Trends on Thursday, November 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at BICS.

The RCMP Drug Awareness website is at:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/bc/crops/drug_awareness/index_e.htm