COPS ON 20-YEAR HIGH

93,000 Drug Raps Laid In 2002

DRUG OFFENCES reported by police hit a 20-year high in 2002, Statistics
Canada reported yesterday. Overwhelmingly, a majority of offences involved
marijuana possession, with most of the offences involving teens and young
adults aged 12 to 24.

"Police reported almost 93,000 incidents related to the Controlled Drugs
and Substances Act in 2002. Of these, about two-thirds were for possession,
22% were for trafficking, and the remainder were for offences involving
importation and production," said the report, which was compiled using
police statistics, rather than court convictions.

In total, 75% of the drug offences involved marijuana and 72% were for
possession.

Ottawa ranked near the bottom of StatsCan's list of 15 major metropolitan
areas in 2002, with 188 drug-related offences per 100,000 population
reported by police.

'Better Effort'

Gatineau ranked near the top, after Vancouver, Victoria and Thunder Bay,
with 287 offences per 100,000 population.

Gatineau police Lieut. Yves Martel said the higher rates could be the
result of not only more drugs, but also a renewed effort to crack down on
drug offences.

"We're putting a better effort to it," said Martel. "We are really making a
lot of drug busts related to (cultivation)."

Most of the offences involved young adults in the 18 to 24 age bracket
followed by youths aged 12 to 17.

"The age group 18-to-24 also recorded the highest rates for cocaine
trafficking and possession," StatsCan said. "Rates for both offences
declined with age."

The report also revealed that from 1992-2002, one in 10 homicides in Canada
involved drug trafficking or the settling of drug-related accounts.

Cocaine was involved in 60% of drug-related homicides. Cannabis was
involved in 20%, heroin in 5% and other unspecified drugs in 15%.

The report also found that 26% of all drug-related homicides were gang-related.

British Columbia and Quebec each accounted for 29% of drug-related
homicides, the highest proportions, followed by Ontario at 24%.

The numbers highlight a rift between police, who support tight enforcement
of pot laws, and more tolerant attitudes by the public, politicians and the
courts.

The statistics were released as MPs began to debate a bill to decriminalize
possession of less than 15 grams of pot -- about 15 to 20 joints. Instead
of a criminal record, the bill proposes fines of between $100 to $400.

The bill maintains or increases penalties for large-scale growers and
traffickers.

If passed, the bill would appear to free police up from laying most
possession charges.