POLICING METH

Hinton Parklander - Crystal meth, crank, crystal, speed, glass, ice, zip,
go-fast, fire, grit.

Whatever it gets called methamphetamine use is a serious problem that the
RCMP in Hinton deal with on a regular basis, and it is not a topic they
take lightly.

A vast majority of RCMP resources in Hinton are spent on dealing with meth
users and crime associated with meth, making detection and prosecution a
priority for the organization.

"Most incidents of theft in Hinton are meth related. One hundred per cent
of our habitual property crime offenders are meth users and the crime is
directly and exclusively meth related," said Cst. Simon Pillay, a Hinton
RCMP officer.

The distribution of meth is usually in crystal or powder form. In Hinton
meth usually is white and looks how one would assume cocaine to appear,
however it can also be red or brown depending on how it was produced.

Pillay explains that although there are a number of ways to take meth, the
majority of local users smoke it, and it is common for police to find glass
pipes and related paraphernalia in a user's possession. Local "hardcore"
users inject meth intravenously.

Demographics

Meth does not discriminate in Hinton. The meth using population varies in
age from as young as 13 to as old as 50 years. Almost equal numbers of men
and women use the drug.

Hinton's population are mainly blue-collar workers hence the incidents of
meth usage are more prevalent in the blue-collar sector of the community.

"Unemployed, under-educated and long time Hinton resident," describes most
of the meth users the RCMP has contact with. Users who elude contact with
the RCMP usually are successful in doing so because they are not criminally
active.

Surprisingly, with the broad effects of meth use, including unpredictable
behaviour and increase in violent acts, the rate of domestic violence
between couples, attributed to meth use is not high in Hinton.

"Conservatively speaking one could suggest that abuse between couples that
is related to meth use would be about 10 per cent," says Pillay. However,
abuse of parents at the hand of a user child is more likely around 40 per cent.

Where are the labs?

Meth labs in Hinton have yet to be uncovered by the RCMP. However it is
believed that labs in houses, commercial spaces, cars and even outdoors
exist, and despite heavy police involvement the proliferation of
methamphetamine continues to grow.

"The meth users that we deal with are the ones who have become the greatest
criminal problems," Pillay said, "Further, as we prosecute meth dealers,
they close down an operation and another one quickly takes its place. The
problem is that as demand for the drug is always present, there is always
someone wanting to profit and willing to take the associated risks."

And besides the obvious risk of prosecution to manufacturers and dealers
the operation of a meth lab has larger implications. Meth labs are known
for blowing up and causing fires.

Clandestine labs also have the potential to contaminate drinking water
supplies, soil and air, causing a great danger to nearby residences. Meth
labs can cause health problems including respiratory illness, headaches,
nausea, dizziness, skin irritation and burns to the eyes that can result in
blindness or loss of vision.

It is clear that the challenge to the Hinton RCMP in battling against meth
is a great one. They have determined that anyone can buy meth in Hinton at
the "street level," and the bulk of the trafficking to individuals is for
the purpose of consumption.

Adding to the struggle, meth dealers usually do not go to jail for their
first conviction, but rather are punished only by a fine, and are quickly
back in the community.

Despite this seemingly endless fight Cst. Pillay feels that, "Hinton RCMP
have a strong command of local criminal intelligence," but stresses that
without any major changes to the RCMP's resources in Hinton, the problem
will remain constant.