PROVINCE GIVES POLICE MONEY FOR DRUGS

Cracking down on drugs in Belleville high schools is no small task
but Belleville police have received some Ontario dollars that will
help them stem the drug trade among youth here. The local police
service is the first to receive this much-needed government funding
amoung other police services and community groups in the province.

Solicitor General David Turnbull officially signed the giant-sized
cheque and turned over $23,217 at a press conference Monday
afternoon. The money was granted in support of the Belleville Police
Service's initiative to curb youth crime, drug use and trafficking
within local high schools through awareness programs, surveillance
and searches on school property.

The money will also allow the local service to purchase cameras, use
drug-sniffing dogs, rent cars and purchase other security equipment
in order to catch drug users and traffickers in schools.

"Police cannot do it all by themselves to make our streets safe, to
make our communities safe." Turnbull said to the small audience of
police officials. Input from local residents and the provincial
government must also play a role in curbing youth crime.

"I want to reiterate the goverment's continued support for police
services all across Ontario as well as working with community
groups," the minister explained. "I am certainly encouraged by the
efforts of the Belleville community."

The funding is part of the province's Youth Crime and Violence
Initiative grant program which was first established last September.
It was created to provide $2-million each year to police services and
community groups around the province to help them tackle youth crime,
reduce violence amount young people and help youth-at-risk.
Applicants are eligible to receive up to $30,000 for such programs.

Police Chief Steve Tanner said the money will also have a very
important domino effect on the rest of the city. By combatting the
city's drug trade, police will also be able to further tackle
drug-related crimes such as break and enters.

"We know that the drugs are here in Belleville," Tanner said during
the announcement. "We're not going to put our heads in the sand and
pretend that they are not." Since last July officers with the
Belleville Police Service, the Quinte West Police Service and the OPP
have together seized about $24-million in narcotics, the chief said.