PORT MCNEILL CALLED UPON TO FIGHT CRIME

PORT McNEILL -- It's time for Port McNeill to take back their streets.

That was the message from RCMP to about 40 people who showed up for a
meeting to start a Citizen's on Patrol (COP) group.

"The last couple of months five people, some of them your neighbours,
has been stealing this town blind," said Const. Chris Leining of the
Port McNeill RCMP. "We need Citizens on Patrol so we can focus on some
concrete ways to deal with the B and Es."

Citizens on patrol is a group of local residents who receive training
and information on people of interest from the RCMP.

They form teams that patrol the community during the night,
particularly when RCMP are off duty. Their role is to observe, record
and report as well as provide a presence in the community that will
discourage illegal activity.

Since June, Port McNeill businesses and vehicles have been broken into
more than 40 times.

Similar crime sprees in the past have been committed by people from
down Island. This time, the work is being done by local thieves, says
Leining.

He admitted police know who the perpetrators are; they're just isn't
enough solid evidence to arrest them.

"The perpetrators know our exact schedule. It is shortly after 2 a.m.
that they head out and commit their crimes. We are not a 24-hour
police service," explains Leining. "That's why we need Citizens on
Patrol to be our eyes and ears in the community."

The shortstaffed Port McNeill detachment is stretched to the limit,
says Leining. Port McNeill-based officers serve Zeballos, Sointula,
Woss, the highway and Port McNeill with essentially only four officers.

Some relief is on the way -- a new commanding officer will arrive Nov.
22 and an additional officer is being assigned to Zeballos, says
Leining, but it won't be enough to cover the early-morning hours when
most of the thefts take place.

Leining says drugs are at the heart of the issue, although that's not
the whole picture.

"There are people in this town buying this stuff (stolen goods). There
is an underground economy here. Drug dealers are buying or fencing the
stolen goods," explained Leining. "If we could stop the hard drugs in
this town -- the trafficking -- we might be able to get this under
control."

People attending the meeting, most of them businesspeople, were given
Criminal Record Search forms to fill out and submit. As soon as they
are returned, the first volunteers can be trained and get out on the
streets.

Fro more information or to volunteer, call the Port McNeill RCMP at
956-4441.