DEALERS SOLD CRACK TO TUXEDO STUDENTS: COPS

A trio of drug dealers recently busted for peddling crack and powdered
cocaine have likely been selling to students at high schools in Tuxedo
and Charleswood, including St. Paul's, Shaftesbury and Oak Park,
Winnipeg police said yesterday.

Three men -- two are 18 and the third is 21 -- were arrested after
cops raided a home on Sparrow Road in Charleswood and seized 20 rocks
of crack and roughly an ounce of powdered cocaine.

Sgt. Kelly Dennison, a spokesman for Winnipeg police, said the men
were "dial-a-dealers" whose phone numbers police believe may have been
making the rounds through the schools.

"The students from these schools are the ones who are alleged to be
purchasing drugs from these individuals," said Dennison, who noted the
men likely had other customers as well.

None of the alleged dealers were students at any of the schools, he
said.

Most St. Paul's and Shaftesbury students approached by Sun Media
outside the schools yesterday said the arrests and alleged sales
simply illustrate the prevalence of drugs available on the streets and
elsewhere.

Ethan Chess, a Grade 9 student at the private St. Paul's High School
on Grant Avenue, suggested the busts "take away your sense of
security" in affluent Tuxedo, and are a wake-up call to some parents
who believe their district is largely free of such problems.

"Some parents do get complacent. They think because they live in
Tuxedo, their kids can party hard and go anything they want. It's not
the right attitude," he said.

"I've never been approached (to buy drugs) personally, but it happens
- -- it happens everywhere," Chess said.

"You've got to learn that everywhere, no matter where you are, drugs
are a problem."

'Scary'

Katie Lipinski, a student at the public Shaftesbury High School a
stone's throw from St. Paul's, said the only surprise in the arrests
is that they involve allegations of cocaine -- more serious than other
illegal substances, such as marijuana and ecstasy, usually found at
their "huge druggie" collegiate.

"Here, it's not as serious as crack. But pretty much in general with
drugs, you hear about it quite often -- like with weed and E," said
Lipinski, a Grade 9 student.

"Things are getting a little bit out of hand if it's coming down to
crack. That's a really serious drug. It's kind of scary to hear about
that."

Paul Moreau, superintendent of the Pembina Trails School Division,
which administers Shaftesbury and Oak Park, said the fact high school
students are buying hard drugs like crack and cocaine is no surprise
to him.

"It's not news at all. That would go for any high school in Winnipeg
and I'm afraid across this country and continent. That's always a
cause for concern," he said.

Moreau said the principals at neither high school had seen or heard of
any drug dealing taking place recently at the schools or on school
property, but are well aware there are "some characters" in the
community who deal drugs to students.