WEAPONS ABOUND IN DRUG HOUSES

A member of the Red Deer RCMP street team believes some city stores
may be contributing to an increase in weapons in the city.

Const. Shawn Boutin said whenever the team raids a suspected drug
house, more often than not they find it contains weapons like swords,
medieval-style battle axes and knives.

The team is also finding more drug dealers are carrying weapons like
knives to protect themselves and their drugs from rival dealers.

Boutin said although no team members have been hurt, they're becoming
concerned. And some local stores aren't helping by having weapons like
swords and battle axes prominently displayed.

Boutin said he wonders whether merchants should be allowed to sell
such weapons in such a fashion.

But Mayor Morris Flewwelling said on Monday that although he's aware
of the problem, there's little the city can do.

Swords and battles axes can be legally sold in Canada, so the city
can't pass a bylaw to prohibit or restrict their sale in stores.

"We may suggest that they keep them under lock and key, which they
very often do," Flewwelling said.

"But we can't restrict who they sell them to and we can't restrict the
trade because it is legal."

City RCMP Supt. Jim Steele said during a Red Deer policing committee
meeting last week that more people are carrying weapons in the city
and that's one reason why crimes against people are up. There were 180
offensive weapons complaints during the first 11 months of this year
compared with 132 during the same time in 2003.

Steele said more drug dealers are carrying weapons to protect
themselves, particularly "edged weapons."

Boutin said he's surprised how easy it is to buy a weapon like a sword
in Red Deer. A 16-year-old or 18-year-old can go into a store and buy
a reasonably good sword for $50.

"One section of the stores is all swords and knives and so forth,"
Boutin said. "Everything is there."

Other weapons on display include battle axes, as seen used in such
movies as Braveheart, and spears.

Boutin said it's no coincidence that when the team raids a drug house,
they frequently find similar weapons inside.

"Every crack house we're going into, it's uncommon not to see a sword
or even a medieval axe," Boutin said. "It's just one of those things
that are relentless. We just assume when we're dealing with people in
the crack (cocaine) trade or the meth (methamphetamine) trade that
they're all carrying weapons."

Boutin said drug dealers are carrying knives when arrested. The team
recently arrested one suspect in a truck and found 25 knives inside.

Flewwelling said he's seen pictures of weapons confiscated in Red Deer
drug raids and some are very "chilling-looking."

He said it's more difficult to restrict the sale of weapons in the
city than it was 10 years ago.

"Now, you can go to many shops and find weapons that you can put a
pretty substantial edge on," Flewwelling said. "Certainly they're
readily available. And they're readily available in a variety of stores."

The problem is that people like hunters and fishermen use knives and
sharp-edged items for legitimate purposes. A drug dealer can go into a
store and buy a knife and say he wants to use it for hunting.

Flewwelling said even if the city could outlaw weapons like swords and
battle axes, they could still be legally purchased in other
municipalities - like neighbouring Red Deer County.

The mayor said there are no age restrictions concerning the sale of
weapons like swords. They can be sold to people under 16.

City RCMP say that drug-related offences are dramatically up this year
because the detachment has more officers and is making a concerted
effort to crack down on the drug trade. Red Deer is also becoming a
larger city, with more big city problems.