PARK RCMP PROACTIVE WITH PARK'S NARCOTICS PROBLEMS

St. Albert council has boosted its RCMP detachment's budget by $300,000 to
create a three-officer drug squad that will go after city dealers targeting
the well-to-do community.

Sherwood Park is another affluent suburb of Edmonton, but the Strathcona
RCMP Detachment won't create its own drug squad because it already has a
seven-person criminal investigation section.

Inspector Brian McLeod points out that prior to hiring three officers
dedicated to drug enforcement, St. Albert only had two officers in its
general investigation section (GIS).

"They are very much in catch-up mode," he said. "We're already moving in a
direction that other detachments are envious of."

Strathcona's officers investigate all manner of criminal offences,
including drugs.

Last year, they were involved in a multi-force undercover operation that
nabbed 19 pushers dealing at various Sherwood Park nightclubs.

While McLeod is pleased with his experienced complement of investigators,
he is planning on adding a GIS member to liaise with the detachment's 61
officers, including the ones posted in schools.

"We will likely dedicate one member for intelligence gathering which will
include the drug side," he said.

"It's a matter of doing business a little bit better as to how we gain
information, analyse it, and share it."

McLeod believes centralizing intelligence is an essential part of police
work as it enables officers to better investigate a variety of criminal
activity.

He acknowledges that Sherwood Park, with its wealth and high population of
young people, is a target for city drug dealers, and the problem is broad.

"They have access to cocaine, marijuana - you name it," said McLeod.

The detachment, he adds, is dealing with the problem on a proactive basis.