CRACK CRIME-FIGHTING UNIT

New Ottawa Police Unit Will Focus On Getting Highly Addictive Drug
Off Downtown Streets

Ottawa Police are cranking up their war on crack with the creation of
a new unit to tackle the drug head-on.

It couldn't come at a better time -- police say crack cocaine addicts
are telling them the drug is being cut with methamphetamine to make
it more addictive.

Police are expected to roll out the new unit in a matter of weeks
following budget approval this morning. It will focus on downtown,
including Elgin St. over to Island Park Dr., down to Carleton
University and up to Wellington St. -- an area where 90% of all
complaints are crack-related.

"The Street Crime Unit is going to attack downtown, particularly
(crack). This is going to be their full-time job and see if they can
break up this problem," Ottawa Police Chief Vern White told the Sun.

Police said the unit, a nine-month pilot project, would have eight officers.

MORE DANGEROUS

White has been outspoken about the crisis Ottawa faces with crack,
which has been crippling downtown for years.

Police said they've seen a rise in crack use in the past five years,
but word on the street recently is that the drug has become even more
dangerous.

"We are hearing there is some crack cut with meth. In the last couple
of months we've received quite a few calls. It would be very
addictive," said Staff-Sgt. Peter Gauthier of the Drug Unit.

White, who has repeatedly voiced his concern about meth creeping into
the city's neighbourhoods, said police send seized crack to labs to
learn what's in the drug.

He said the results haven't proven the rumours so far, but it's just
a matter of time before they tell the true story.

ECSTASY WITH METH

If meth is being cooked into crack, it could be so dealers can
increase profits for the end product, White speculated.

Gauthier said tests have already shown that dealers are cutting
ecstasy with meth and unsuspecting users looking for a high of a few
hours instead find the trip lasts much longer and side effects are more severe.

"Ecstasy is being sold as ecstasy but a very large portion is cut
with meth," he said. "When the pills are being (tested) they are
coming back as meth."

The project will be reviewed after nine months and would require
additional training for the officers.