STREET CRIME UNIT ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING ON THE BEAT IN AMHERST,
SPRINGHILL

Springhill - an Integrated Street Crime Unit for Amherst And
Springhill Is a Step Closer to Fruition.

Springhill town council last week agreed to a memorandum of
understanding between its police department and its counterpart in
Amherst to create the unit.

All the stands in the way is passage of the provincial budget.

"Once the budget passes we'll be in a position to appoint an officer
to the unit as will Amherst," Springhill Police Chief Gary Copeland said.

Copeland said the unit will go a long way towards combating crime at
the street level and feels the drug problem in both Amherst and
Springhill will be among the unit's first tasks.

"Drugs are a problem in every community, not just ours or Amherst,"
Copeland said. "What this will do is designate two police officers to
go after those who are dealing the drugs. This unit won't stop the
drugs because it'll never stop, but it should put a dent in it."

The street crime unit is part of a provincial initiative to hire 250
new police officers over four years.