CITY LOOKING AT WAYS TO FUND DRUG UNIT

About half of the property crimes committed in Penticton are drug-related,
those attending a special RCMP advisory commitee meeting heard recently.
And the city and RCMP are considering creating a special drug enforcement
unit to deal with the problem.

"There's an awful lot of crack (cocaine) in town and a lot of speed
(methamphetamine)," Staff-Sgt. Pete McLaren told about 30 people. "The vast
majority of our property crime is committed (by people addicted to these
drugs)."

The RCMP community advisory committee held an expanded meeting, inviting
representatives from a range of community organizations to identify
community law, order and safety concerns and to help find the solutions to
them.

And the influence of drugs on this relatively small South Okanagan city
surfaced as one of the primary concerns.

Insp. Dan Fudge described drugs, from a policing perspective, as "a black
hole," requiring a two-pronged approach: education - such as the DARE
program running in schools - and enforcement.

Drug enforcement, McLaren added, is very labour intensive.

And for the police detachment with the ninth highest case burden of 40 in
B.C. - local members investigate 106 cases annually compared to the
provincial average of 98 - in a city with a criminal code offence rate
higher than the B.C. average, labour intensive is a problem.

"We're adequately resourced," said Fudge. "Could we do a better job with
more (officers)? Yes we could."

Busy property crimes' unit members currently double, as required, as drug
enforcement personnel. And that's why city council and the RCMP have
discussed ways of funding a dedicated drug enforcement officer, or possibly
two.

"We have entered into some preliminary discussions ... whether or not we
would add somebody with respect to drug enforcement," Mayor Mike Pearce
said in a later interview. "We're exploring it as an employee initiative."
It's possible, Fudge said, that if the city funds one member - each costs
about $90,000 annually in total - the federal government may look at
matching funding.

Mayor Mike Pearce said the move to look into funding an additional RCMP
member or two, was a city employee initiative.

A staff member suggested that perhaps Utilicorp would like to help fund the
cost of an RCMP member who would investigate the power theft that often
goes along with marijuana grow operations.

"There's a lot more room for preventative-type policing," Pearce said. A
Ministry for Children and Families social worker attending the meeting said
cuts recently announced to social programs and the closing locally of
several service providers will mean an increase in crime, including spousal
assaults.

When asked what role the city can play in seeing the community adequately
services, Pearce said the municipality's hands are tied, and that council
is limited in how much it should interfere with other levels of government.
"If we start accepting financial responsibility, I don't think that's
appropriate," he said. "We've got to find more money from the system."

Pearce said the city's social development committee has put $70,000 into a
fund to be used to address social issues.

Crime in the downtown area also surfaced as an issue at the meeting.
Break-ins and graffiti to city centre businesses are costly, said Rebecca
Johnson representing the Downtown Penticton Association.

"The cost to businesses is quite significant," she said. "To replace a
window can be $2,000."

She said it is important to business operators that they know the officer
manning the downtown policing office - something they don't currently feel
is happening.

Fudge said that will be rectified this summer as one member has been
assigned to the downtown foot patrol.

The RCMP's summer bike patrols won't start until July this year, however,
because 14 local members will in June be at the Kananaskis G-8 conference.
Special assignments, as well as holidays and sick time, leave the RCMP with
scheduling difficulties.

"We have seven members on a shift. There are times when there are only
four," said Fudge.

"Do we need more than that?

"The reality is, there's a level of crime we're going to have to accept."