HIGH CRIME RATE DRUG RELATED?

Crime in the city is up a whopping 36 per cent and the cops don't know
why.

"I wish I could tell you," said Insp. Dan Fudge. "We all speculate.
The casino opened in 2000. Is this a reflection of that? Government
cutbacks perhaps? We have a number of hotels here that offer very
cheap monthly rates. Are we attracting an element (of people) that is
involved in criminal activity?"

RCMP documents show a total of 5,598 criminal code offenses during the
first nine months of 2003 - that's up from 4,117 offenses during the
same period last year, said Fudge. Crime numbers recorded in 2003 so
far already exceed last year's 4,960 - and there's still three months
left to go, said Fudge.

Thefts rose to 1,594 from 1,253 last year, while break-and-enters are
up to 484 from 424, he said. Assaults rose to 379 from 329 last year.

The crime increase has mostly affected downtown and surrounding
residential areas according to anecdotal evidence, said Fudge.

Crime in rural areas surrounding Penticton is also up - 703 total
criminal offenses from 483 last year, said Fudge.

While he cannot point to a single reason for the increase, RCMP
speculate drugs are behind many of the minor thefts.

The number of drug offenses rose to 318 this year from 183 last year,
with methamphetamine topping the list of drugs of concern to police,
said Fudge. Crack cocaine and heroin also remain problems, he said.

The spike in drug arrests reflects a commitment to addressing drug
problems, said Fudge.

"In the last year, we put an emphasis on drug enforcement," he said.
"So that's really where those numbers come from."

The RCMP Community Drug Partnership - recent recipient of the
municipal crime fighting award - is having some success, said Fudge,
adding that RCMP want to expand it.

It is not clear if an increase in crime is unique to Penticton.
Provincial officials cannot release statistics until next month. But
some problems in Penticton also exist elsewhere in B.C., said
Staff-Sgt. Grant Learned, senior RCMP spokesperson.

Methamphetamine is a "huge" problem everywhere, said Learned, and
patterns of organized crime found in the Lower Mainland are visible in
B.C.'s interior on a smaller scope, said Learned.

Interior residents are not "immune" to the "tentacles" of organized
crime, he said.

Those tentacles may also reach into local taxpayers' pockets in the
form of increased policing costs.

Fudge is asking council for a yet-to-be announced number of additional
officers.

"But I want you to know that it has nothing whatsoever to do with the
stats of 2003. My argument is based on 2002 and prior stats," he said.

The current crime statistics, nonetheless, speak for themselves, said
Fudge.

"I can't hide from them. This year, they went up significantly so
far."

But he warns against undue excitement.

"Sometimes the fear of crime is actually worse than the crime itself.
Do we have some issues? Absolutely we do and we're trying to deal with
those. But it is a safe community."