COPS APPLY BRAKES TO METH RUNNERS

A concerted effort to reduce the distribution of crystal meth by the
Camrose Police Service is making an impact.

"What we're very successful in is busting runners from Edmonton," said
criminal investigation section member Sgt. Greg Corbett.

"They (runners) come down here and they stick out like a sore thumb.
Usually these people have warrants so they're identified right away and
they're getting caught."

Detective Lorne Blumhagen said a practice of running interference with
major players has interrupted distribution to all the locals, and that the
locals now have to rely on their own devices to access meth. That usually
means a trip out of Camrose.

"They're buying in smaller quantities and for smaller groups. Now you don't
have the large quantities coming in, filtering through the regulars and
then down to the younger people. We haven't had nearly the involvement with
the younger people, yet, and I think part of that's the education."

Although rumours abound, no major labs have been discovered in Camrose or area.

"We haven't cultivated the grounds for a search warrant in relation to any
meth labs, however, there are lots of rumours out there," said Det.
Blumhagen. "There were indications of people traveling through that had
mobile labs. Those kinds of labs would be here today, gone tomorrow.

"The other thing with the lab is we're pretty confident if one was here for
any period of time we would find out about it. With the types of labs
people are running right now, any 15-year-old could make enough for
personal use. I don't think it's the case." Detective Blumhagen and Sgt.
Corbett also attribute the work of police patrols who are relaying critical
street-level information to the criminal investigation section.

"They're making a huge impact."

The one area that police are staying focused on in relation to the meth
front is frauds. Despite a decrease in most other crimes, frauds are on the
increase.

"Some of the crimes where we're not seeing a decrease, and that can be
attributed to speedier crimes, are the frauds and the break and enters. Our
frauds are actually still up.

"That's attributed to groups working the telephones or coming through town
on a very short basis. When they come through town, and we've picked off
some of the groups, they're committing a dozen or two dozen crimes in a day.

"Within no time they'll go from store to store to store running their scam
and then they're out of here."