COUNTY CONCERNED OVER POSSIBLE DRUG CLOSURE

WALLACE -- The chair of Cumberland County's policing services committee is
adopting a wait and see attitude over the possible closure of the RCMP drug
section in Truro.

"It's something we as a committee and council will be investigating," Coun.
Gerald Langille said Thursday. "I'm going to be speaking to the RCMP and the
affected officers to see what they know. We need to get some information
about this."

Earlier this week, Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley MLA Brooke Taylor sounded
the alarm about the drug section, which serves northern Nova Scotia from the
Canso Causeway to Amherst and over to Enfield. Taylor said sources have told
him that one of the province's four drug sections may be disbanded and its
officers reallocated elsewhere, possibly Sydney and Halifax.

Langille said he cannot speak for the county, but feels personally such a
move would be a backwards step considering Cumberland is the lone land
entrypoint to the province and all drugs entering Nova Scotia via highway
have to come through this area.

"I can't understand their reasoning if that's what they are considering,"
Langille said. "That section is providing a valuable service to the people
of this area and the people of the province by stopping the flow of drugs
into Nov Scotia. They have had success at both the Port Elgin and Amherst
border entries and that presence has to be maintained."

There is no word on whether the office is being disbanded. A spokesperson
with RCMP headquarters in Halifax said a review of the federal policing
program is currently underway with some reallocation being considered to
make the best use of federal funds.

Because of this review, Const. Gary Smith said officers throughout Nova
Scotia may be moved to different locations within the province.

Taylor said more than $2 million in drugs has been confiscated in the
northern region over the last three years and feels it would be unreasonable
of the RCMP to expect the remaining officers to pick up this work on top of
their regular duties.