MAYORS SUPPORT WAR ON DRUG TRADE

EDMONTON - Mayors from across northern Alberta rallied Friday
behind a call from Edmonton's mayor to launch a fierce campaign to
eradicate the province's illegal drug trade.

The unanimous support from the group of more than 30 mayors came one
day after Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith warned drug dealers and their
clients to get out of town and challenged all Edmontonians to take an
active role in the fight against illegal drugs.

''It's an Alberta problem, it's not just an Edmonton problem,'' Smith
said. ''Drugs are very transportable. They move across all kinds of
boundaries.''

The group of mayors meets three times a year to discuss common
problems and projects. Several of them said their cities and towns are
also in the midst of their own anti-drug efforts.

Grande Prairie Mayor Wayne Ayling, as a former federal drug prosecutor
in the city, knows first-hand the negative consequences of illegal
drugs and the efforts of the RCMP to enforce the drug laws, he said
Tuesday morning.

"City council is extremely supportive of any new initiative that would
assist the RCMP to tackle any drug dealers that happen to reside in
Grande Prairie," he said.

At a recent meeting with RCMP K-Division officials at the Alberta
Urban Municipalities Association convention, mayorts heard about IROC,
an enhanced criminal investigation unit, said Ayling.

The mobile tactical squad is a new tool that will assist Grande
Prairie, he said.

Fairview Mayor Jean Charchuk described the call to action as long
overdue and Drayton Valley's Mayor Moe Hamdon urged municipalities to
share information about successful drug-fighting programs in their
communities.

Smaller communities like Camrose and Bonnyville also have recognized
drug use, particularly crystal meth, as a problem.