DRUG ARRESTS GOING UP IN CITY

It's been about a month and the Victoria police have been busy waging a
local version of the 'War on Drugs'.

The department's point man on downtown street-policing, Sgt. Darren Laur,
said that as of last Friday (Feb. 21) the department's 20-member downtown
drug task force had made 204 arrests on trafficking charges, possession for
the purpose of trafficking, outstanding warrants, breaches of undertaking
- -- promises to stay out of the downtown "Red Zone" -- and even solicitation
of prostitution.

"We've been concentrating on cocaine and heroin dealers but we have also
arrested a number of marijuana dealers," said Laur.

Insp. Bill Naughton, supervisor of the core (central) district for the
department, said the high number of arrests relate to increased enforcement
efforts. He added "the people we're dealing with are largely ones we're
familiar with."

Anecdotal comments from merchants in the downtown area has been largely
positive concerning the increased efforts to clean up the downtown, said
Naughton.

The area around Douglas and Pandora streets remains the most frequent area
for illicit drug activity. While police have made a dent in the trade, they
have yet to determine whether drug trafficking is drifting outward to
residential neighbourhoods.

"The issue for us is to determine where displacement will occur, but it's
too early to tell yet," said Naughton.

Asked whether the current campaign will taper off as police make further
inroads into the downtown drug scene, a determined-looking Naughton stated:
"I don't have any intention of slowing down."