ISLAND ANGRY OVER RAIDS

Lasqueti Islanders voice concerns similar to Texada Islanders' the
week before

Lasqueti Island made news headlines last week after residents
complained of being harassed and intimidated by military-style drug
raids.

More than 100 people, just under one third of the island's population,
attended a town hall meeting on August 25 to talk about the raids.

Rose Willow, Powell River Regional District director for Lasqueti
Island, said headlines such as one in a press release issued by the
RCMP that refer to the island as a "marijuana mecca" rip small
communities apart.

RCMP using Canadian Forces helicopters flew over the island searching
for marijuana grow ops. Islanders said police raids upset children and
terrorized livestock.

"We're not denying that stuff goes on there and it goes on all over
the province," said Willow at last week's regional board meeting. "We
know that police have to do their job but it's how they do their job.
They're breaking the law to enforce the law."

Testimony was given at the Lasqueti Island meeting about how the RCMP
destroyed personal property and infringed on private property in their
search for marijuana, she said.

"They can't just treat the whole island like everyone is a
criminal.

"They ripped up waterlines and they didn't use any discretion. I think
the RCMP need to be accountable to small communities. I think this was
an invasion of privacy."

One week earlier RCMP conducted a search on Texada Island looking for
marijuana plants. The operation was referred to as a belligerent
assault on the community by Dave Murphy, Powell River Regional
District director for Texada Island.

A town hall meeting to deal with the fallout of the raid on Texada
Island is set for Thursday, September 2 at the Royal Canadian Legion
in Van Anda. It will coincide with the island's regular community
policing meeting.

"What happened on Lasqueti Island and on Texada Island-I don't think
you would see that happen in Chilliwack or Abbotsford or Cloverdale,"
said Murphy. "It's an area where they [the RCMP] can exercise and
strut their stuff and show their might."

Murphy said the two RCMP officers on Texada Island have told him that
they have never received as many complaints over one issue as they
have over the way in which the marijuana search was conducted.

Colin Palmer, chairman of the Powell River Regional District, said
Willow and Murphy could write a strong letter to the RCMP staff
sergeant, the commissioner, the attorney general, the solicitor
general and the commissioner for complaints in Ottawa to voice their
concerns. "And say on behalf of the regional board this is not
acceptable in the regional board of Powell River and it is not
acceptable anywhere else. We support crime prevention, we support the
arresting and dealing with criminals, but we don't support our
constituents being harassed. Entering people's homes without
permission is totally unacceptable."