NEW UNIT FIGHTS ORGANIZED CRIME

Police have a new tool in the battle against B.C.'s drug trade and other
organized crime with the creation of an integrated crime unit, Solicitor
General Rich Coleman said Feb. 6.

"By moving the Organized Crime Agency into the RCMP, police will benefit
from unprecedented levels of coordination as they target criminal groups,"
Coleman said. "The streamlined operation frees up an additional $3 to $4
million to fight illegal guns, money laundering, and other types of
organized crime."

The new agency will be called the Integrated Organized Crime Unit.

"Criminals don't respect municipal borders and this move will help to
eliminate overlap and duplication among law enforcement agencies, said
Beverley (Bev) Busson, RCMP Deputy Commissioner for the Pacific Region. "At
the same time, it provides a more efficient use of money and resources
dedicated to organized crime."

The new integrated unit will have the advantage of the provincial RCMP
contract and access to more federal dollars. Under existing agreements the
province pays 70 per cent of the provincial RCMP costs, and the federal
government pays 30 per cent.

David Douglas, chief officer of the Organized Crime Agency of B.C., said,
"This integrated partnership levels the playing field for police."

The Organized Crime Agency of B.C was set up in 1999 to investigate and
track organized crime in B.C. The agency will move to the RCMP on April 1.