REPORTING DEALERS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

Of the many challenges crystal methamphetamine can relay into a community,
law enforcement can be one of the most frustrating, say Parksville
residents and local police.

"There are a lot of challenges when it comes to that drug," says Corporal
Garry Cox about the RCMP's role in enforcing anti-possesion and
distribution laws.

One difficulty is when the public reports drug dealers or suspicious
houses, and then nothing seems to be done.

That was the frustration of one senior Parksville resident who's lived in
the community for seven years. He came to The News frustrated specifically
with one female who he says he knows is dealing drugs in the city.

"I've informed the RCMP a few times about their certain person and they
just seem to turn their head, or they don't listen," says the many, who
requested annonymity because of fear of retribution.

His call is one of a few concerns raised in public and private discussions
about the seemingly slow response by police to complaints about drug
activity in the area.

Cox says as police, they hear that concern quite often, but assure the
public it's not that they're not listening.

In fact, what they are doing is listening a lot, and collecting as much
information as they can, before they can legally perform a search of
suspicious people.

"That piece of information may be good, but we have to put other
information into a package," says Cox of calls from the public.

Getting a package loaded with enough solid evidence, can be a challenge
sometimes.

For drug dealers on the street he explains, "the problem is that they often
don't have the drug with them.

When someone looks to buy, they will walk to a storage spot - be it a car,
or bush, or house - and then pass the drug off.

For homes where it's suspected that drugs are being dealt from, Cox says
"the problem becomes how do we prove that the product will be in the house
when we do the search," says Cox. "That's a problem, whether it's cocaine,
crystal meth or marijuana.

While Cox says he understands the frustration of citizens who do report
drug-related activities to the police, he encourages them to continue their
calls.

"That's great [to phone], we want to know about that because we may already
have a file," says Cox, or if not, the RCMP can start a new investigation,
and collect the information the need over time.

"I know we have quite a few drug investigations on the go all throughout
the district," says Cox. Any one of those, he adds, could be wrapped up by
the right phone call.

"The information that we get from the public is great because that might be
the missing piece of information that we need," says Cox.

To contact the Oceanside RCMP detachment, phone 248-6111