COCAINE CRACKDOWN

Drug dealers beware: the Kelowna RCMP are after you. Police made four
more cocaine-related arrests in recent weeks and plan on continuing
the assault on the local drug trade

Const. Don Powell said the recent busts do not necessarily mean there
is an increase of cocaine in Kelowna. But, he says police are
dedicating more manpower to taking dealers down

"In the last year, I would say we charged 60 to 70 people for cocaine
trafficking or possession for the purpose of trafficking," said Powell

He said Kelowna's drug problem is comparable to any Canadian city this
size

Cocaine is the drug of choice for many, and those supplying them are
not independent operators. "The people we are arresting are part of an
organization at some level," he said. The street dealers are at the
lowest level, with the upper echelon of the drug trade having several
layers of dealers below them. Powell said organized crime, such as
outlaw motorcycle gangs and Asian gangs, control almost all of the
drug trade in B.C. He said there has been a noticeable increase in
Asian gangs operating in Kelowna in the last six months

Fellow drug-squad member Const. Simon McDermott said the outlaw
motorcycle gangs no longer rule the Lower Mainland drug trade, sharing
their turf with the Asian gangs

That Asian influence is starting to be felt in the Okanagan

McDermott said with the two organizations come power struggles for
drug territory

Powell said the Kelowna drug unit is currently targeting the street
dealer. He said the users are responsible for a significant portion of
the crimes in the city. He said robberies, stolen cars and
break-and-enters are largely committed by drug addicts looking for
cash to buy a drug fix

"I don't remember a robbery here that wasn't committed by a drug
addict," said Powell, adding crime is the only way a drug addict can
feed a habit that can reach hundreds of dollars a day. Const. Heather
Macdonald said crime is part of the drug addict mentality

"Their focus is on themselves. They don't care who they hurt," said
Macdonald

Added McDermott, "The hardcore crack heads won't hesitate to rip off
their grandmother, their grandfather. They've lost all decency to what
they normally would be." And the drug dealers profit on that
desperation. "The drug dealers know how bad it is," said Powell. "They
won't do it themselves, but they will push it on other people. They
know full well what the drugs do

"They will sell it to children. Anybody who has the money. They don't
care. Drug dealers profit from the misery of other people." Powell
said the goal of police is not to arrest the street-level addict

"Without proper treatment, jail is no help," said Macdonald, adding
the addict is often back on drugs as soon as they are out of jail

"We want to put the dealers in jail," said Powell. "This detachment is
dedicated to this and has the resources needed to do what we have to
do."