ALARM BELLS SHOULD GO OFF WHEN BIG DEALS ARE OFFERED ON THE STREET

It's always amazing to us how normally law-abiding citizens often
forget their ethics and support drug dealers in the same swift motion.

We're not talking about fudging tax returns or "forgetting" to
declare that little something-something bought south of the border.

No, this crime -- and indeed it is a crime -- puts people at the top
of the hypocrite list.

The offense we're talking about is fencing, or buying stolen property.

Say you're having a sip or two at one of the Valley's watering holes
and a fella or woman comes up to you with an incredible offer on, for
example, a 42-in. plasma TV.

They tell a hard-luck story and end it by offering the boob tube --
which normally sells for more than $2,000 -- for the bargain basement
price of just a few hundred dollars.

In the back of your mind you say, "Hmmm, could this be stolen?"

Then you think, "Well, I really have no proof it is and it would be
an insult to this person twitching in front of me to even suggest
such a thing."

Ah, what the heck, the kids could use a bigger screen.

Here's the thing, odds are heavy in favour the television is hot and
the seller is a crack head looking for enough dough for a rock or two.

In fact, the drug user is so desperate for cash, he or she will
almost give away what they're selling.

Of course, it's not always the users who are selling the items, it
could be someone who bought the television from the crack head and is
looking to make some fast dough.

When people buy items at what they know are ridiculously low prices,
they in fact support a vast criminal underworld that includes the
user, the drug sellers and the dope suppliers.

Many who read this might say, "Come on, that can't be true."

Think about where the money goes and you'll realize it's all too genuine.

Over the weekend thieves broke into a local furniture store and
swiped a couple of televisions.

As sure as this paper has been around 100 years, those TVs are now
sitting in someone's rec or rumpus rooms.

The thing is stores aren't the only targets drug fiends seek out and
they sell more than televisions.

Kinda makes you want to lock your doors at night, doesn't it?