CHARGES LAID BUT DRUG FIGHT FAR FROM OVER

Operation Crack Down Is Living Up To Its Name.

A three-month police effort to fight drugs in the city has yielded hundreds
of charges and more than $1 million worth of drugs, but Insp. Gord Earl
says there's more work left to be done.

"We're not shocked by the results, we anticipated that it would be
substantial," Earl said. "I think this shows (drugs) have to be a priority
issue for the service, it identifies that the problem exists in our community."

In their three-month intensive investigation, police laid charges for
trafficking, resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer, extortion, and
possession of prohibited weapons, which included sawed-off shot guns,
rifles and nunchakus.

Police executed 22 search warrants, charged 79 people and laid 62 Criminal
Code charges and 166 offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
(CDSA).

They recovered $101,400 in stolen property, including vehicles, cash and
clothing and $1,307,113 worth of street drugs were seized.

Police say the operation proved that drugs such as crack, cocaine,
morphine, and crystal meth are all readily available in Medicine Hat, often
being sold by individuals as young as 14 years or as old as 60.

The operation concluded the predominant drug of choice in Medicine Hat
right now is crack cocaine, followed by cannabis marijuana.

The investigation also alerted police to the presence of two youth gangs,
which Earl says came as a bit of a surprise.

The two gangs, the Kids and the Boys, had members charged in relation to
this operation.

"We weren't aware of this kind of street-gang activity in this community,"
Earl said. "I think that it reflects the growing community that we are,
these are issues quite common to other communities around the province and
around Canada, and now they are here as well."