IT'S A CRIME

Penticton is no longer a small community when it comes to drug abuse.
Cocaine and methamphetamine are readily available and addiction to these
drugs is the driving force behind our property crime rate.

Half of all property crimes in Penticton are drug-related. And so the city
and local RCMP are considering forming a drug unit to work on enforcement.
Putting more cops on the drug frontline would certainly help. The Penticton
detachment is one of the busiest in B.C. already, ranking ninth overall in
case load.

Spending more of our hard-earned resources on drug enforcement and
education makes sense from a philosophical perspective, too. It treats the
causes, and not just the symptons, of crime.

Rooting out the reasons for criminal behaviour leads to more permanent
results and is by far the most cost-effective strategy to fighting crime.
But efforts to reduce drug-related crimes must also have a treatment
component to help addicts overcome the issues that led them to drugs and
crime in the first place. And that's going to be tougher as the Liberals
cut provincially-funded services. But without treatment, a drop in
drug-related crimes would merely be temporary.

Money for these efforts comes from different levels of government. The city
may be able to facilitate partnerships, but can't pick up all the slack
left by the province. The federal goverment may also play role in funding a
local drug squad.

Such a unit would be a wise investment down the road. Indeed, locals
deserves protection from the effects of drugs regardless of who ends up
holding the bill.

In the end, we'll all paying for it, whether it's to fund an additional
RCMP member or in increased insurance fees.