DRUG-HOUSE SNITCH LINE EXPANDS

Officer's Program To Be Adopted By Police Across The City

He became a thorn in the side of every south side drug dealer with
his in-your-face police tactics, and now his methods have been
adopted by the entire police force in a citywide crackdown on the
explosion of drug houses.

Const. Maurice Brodeur has headed up the "Report A Drug House"
program in south Edmonton after police realized, he says, that
traditional methods of policing weren't working in preventing the
proliferation of city drug dens.

The program sees police use any legal means necessary to harass
dealers to either cease operations or ship out of town. The goal
isn't to press charges, Brodeur says, but to win back communities
from drug houses that lead to spin-off crimes like theft, violence,
and street prostitution.

Police will work with other agencies to issue fines for everything
from uninsured cars, unlicensed pets and noisy parties to working
with landlords to issue evictions or health inspectors to condemn properties.

"Drugs are the gasoline that powers the crime engine in any city," he
said. "Those few people in a drug house do not have the right to make
the rest of the people in that neighbourhood miserable and feel
unsafe. There really is no choice there. They've got to go."

After shutting down more than 50 houses on the south side alone,
Brodeur believes the program will be successful citywide. He
estimates that there are over 500 drugs houses currently operating
within Edmonton.

He maintains, however, that his drug house-busting antics are also
about claiming back neighbourhoods while assisting drug addicts to
start living a clean, positive lifestyle. "It's all about choices.
It's not just about hammering down on people," he said. "We're
actually trying to find whatever solutions we can to deal with the
problem for the neighbourhood, and if that involves helping those
people help themselves, then that's a win-win."

The complete program details will be officially announced at a press
conference on Monday. A drug-house tip line has already been set up
for citizens to complain about dealer activity.

Starting today, residents can call 426-8229 or go to
www.police.edmonton.ab.ca to e-mail Brodeur any info they have on
problem houses in their neighbourhood.