RCMP ADDRESS ST. PAUL CRIME ISSUES

A national increase in the use and trafficking of the narcotic
substance crystal meth, a chemical based stimulant, has been leaking
its way into the crime sphere of all sectors of the country, and St.
Paul is no exception.

The topic was brought up at the last town council meeting by St. Paul
Staff Sgt. Andre Routhier, who, in a separate interview, reaffirmed
the problem and attributed its increased use to the convenience of the
required ingredients.

"There is a national trend towards the increased use of the drug
crystal meth and it could be because the elements are found and
purchased easily," Routhier said.

But the increased presence of the drug doesn't just mean there are
more people frying their brain cells using drugs -- there are other
repercussions that leak into other sectors of crime.

A detailed crime report, released by Routhier at the last Town of St.
Paul council meeting, indicates there is an increase in break and
enter crimes compared to the same time last year, something Routhier
believes has been a result of the crystal meth problem.

"I agree that crystal meth motivates individuals, through a dependence
and desire to obtain more, to break the law, maybe through residential
theft, so they can support their habit. It's a tough circle," he said.

He further asserted break and enter crimes are usually influenced by
drugs or alcohol.

"They're usually someone who is looking for a financial gain, usually
associated with drugs or alcohol."

And although statistically the number of assaults is not higher than
it was last year at this time, Routhier still pointed to their
existence as a result of drug and alcohol abuse, among other factors.

"Assaults are often related to alcohol and drug use," he said. "But
they are mostly random, between people who know each other." Because
these issues are crystal clear to the RCMP, Routhier says his clan is
taking affirmative action.

"There is a focus on break and enters. We're raising the bar on our
investigations," he said. "Because of a trend on residential and other
kinds of break and enters in St. Paul, Saddle Lake, and country wide,
we're making sure our investigations and files are meeting quality
assurance guidelines."

Routhier also said there is currently a program in place to ensure
these guidelines are met.

"One of our new members is working on a community project focusing on
break and enter through strategizing and using check off sheets."

The cases of assaults can be further defined as domestic spousal
violence, which is another area Routhier and the RCMP have in their
crosshairs.

"There's a focus on domestic spousal violence and we're making sure
these investigations are done fully," Routhier said. He added in these
cases, females are usually the victims and that most cases contain an
undisclosed history where other acts of assault have gone unreported
and have led to the reported incident.

The St. Paul RCMP is the third busiest detachment out of all the
municipalities in Alberta -- a statistic Routhier and the detachment
won't argue against.

"The pressure is pretty constant, we don't plan for quiet times,
because there are none."