RESTRICTIONS CHOKE ANTI-METH EFFORTS

And Frankly...

A plan to choke off the supply of crystal methamphetamine in Surrey is
welcome.

Unfortunately, any such plan is hampered by restrictions on landlords,
law enforcement personnel and city staff.

Fire chief Len Garis outlined plans to boost the city's Meth Watch
program further on Monday. He wants to work with retailers so they
will refuse to sell the ingredients that are used to make crystal meth
in labs, which are usually set up in rental homes but sometimes
located in warehouses. These ingredients include cold and allergy
remedies, drain cleaner and camp stove fuel.

He also wants to have fire crews do regular inspections to identify
locations of meth labs. This is a followup to a successful city
program involving inspection of homes where the theft of power from BC
Hydro is suspected. This has led to a decrease in the number of
marijuana grow-ops.

Other elements of the plan that Garis outlined include distributing
information brochures to the public, and teaching garbage pick-up
crews how to spot items that could be used in meth labs.

All of these elements can help reduce the number of meth labs.
However, based on personal observation, shutting them down isn't easy.

A friend's Surrey neighbourhood is home to what is quite likely a meth
lab.

The police, city bylaw officials, the SPCA and numerous other agencies
have called on residents of that home on many occasions.

There is no power line to the home -- it's been severed at the road.
Yet a portable generator continues to supply occupants with all the
power they need.

The home is owned by investors who are only interested in the land
value. It once housed a marijuana grow-op. The landlords show no
interest at all in what is going on there.

A steady succession of vehicles comes to the home, day and night. Not
one can of garbage has ever been left at the roadside in the past
year, even though there are numerous occupants. Garbage is regularly
hauled out by the pick-up load -- and who knows where it is dumped.

My point is that law enforcement officials know all about this home.
Yet they are unable to do anything, because the occupants are
obviously fully aware of all the legal niceties.

Meanwhile, the amount of junk on the property, including numerous
wrecked cars, continues to mount.

Many neighbours are disgusted by the place -- but they are powerless
to do anything about it, other than repeatedly phoning the police or
the city. Despite the fact that numerous city bylaws have been broken
almost daily, nothing tangible has happened.

People who take horrible chemicals like drain cleaner and mix them
together with other drugs and chemicals to sell to high school kids at
$5 a pop have no scruples. They are in it for the money. They are also
fully aware of what they can get away with, which under the Canadian
Charter of Rights and our system of justice is a tremendous amount.

Garis has shown a lot of leadership in trying to reduce the number of
drug operations in Surrey -- going above and beyond what most fire
chiefs do. The city has backed his efforts, and there has been some
measure of success.

The city has also brought in more comprehensive crime fighting plans,
and if things come together as the mayor and others hope, Surrey may
soon see a dramatic reduction in crime. There has been a reduction
already, but it's too soon to say if the plan rolled out by the mayor
is the reason.

Crime, in all its varied forms, is not an issue that is easily solved.

Most Canadians, including me, do not believe in vigilante action. We
are prepared to let justice take its course. We remain highly
skeptical of any plans to "crack down" on drug labs and grow-ops,
simply because we know the wheels of justice move slowly, if they are
moving at all.

Frank Bucholtz writes weekly for The Peace Arch News. He is the editor
of The Langley Times.