Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 Source: Smithers Interior News (CN BC) Copyright: 2003, BC Newspaper Group Contact: http://www.interior-news.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1631 Author: Matt Pearson DRUGS FUEL RASH OF BREAK-INS: RCMP A group of young people in Smithers are using stolen property to fund their drug habits, say local police. Smithers RCMP Cpl. Sheila White said thieves are breaking into residences looking for cash and easy items to sell, like small electronics, in order to buy quantities of the street drug methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth. In some situations, police believe the theives are actually trading stolen property for drugs. "[They will steal] anything that will pass a quick buck," White said. "They need money for drugs." White explained crystal meth has increased in both availability and demand in the Smithers area over the past six weeks, and police believe there is a definite link between the drug and the rash of recent break-ins. Since the beginning of June, Smithers RCMP have responded to 20 residential break-ins, as well as a number of attempted break-ins. The majority of break-ins are occuring in two general areas of town: the neighbourhood around 14th, 15th and 16th Avenues east of Highway 16 and the neighbourhood along 3rd and 4th Avenue, west of the highway, White said. Police believe a group of youth and young adults -- roughly between the ages of 16 and 23 -- are responsible for the break-ins. That conclusion is based on basic police legwork, as well as evidence uncovered by Terrace's forensic identification unit. White confirmed one arrest has already been made in connection to the break-ins, and said police expect to make more in the near future. White also confirmed what some people have reported: that the thieves travel by bike and, if necessary, leave the bikes behind and flee on foot. It's no bother, though, because the bicycles are also stolen -- sometimes earlier the same day. The break-ins have been occuring at all hours of the day, but what surprises police are the ones during daylight hours. "It's a departure from the norm," White said, adding, in some cases, residents have been home at the time and thieves have been scared off. In other situations, residents have woken up to learn they had been robbed overnight. So far no one has been injured in the break-ins, but local residents are getting more frustrated. Smithers resident Beth Green was woken from her sleep in the early hours of June 10 by the sound of someone fiddling with her back door. At first Green wasn't sure what she was hearing until she heard the perpetrators fiddling with her kitchen window -- which was open, but sits about five feet from the ground. "I thought, 'Oh my gosh, they're coming through my window,'" Green said in a recent interview. And that's exactly what they did. Thieves entered Green's house through the kitchen window, went into her living room and took her wallet from where it was sitting on a table. Although Green did not see or communicate with the thieves in any way during the five to 10 minutes they were in her house, she said they must have taken her wallet to the kitchen and rustled through it, removing change, a small amount of cash, and a handful of identification and other papers. However, they did leave a number of credit cards. By that time, Green was on the phone to the RCMP, and she figures the thieves heard her and took off. "They must have been spooked," she said. " They probably decided to cut their losses and leave." When the RCMP arrived minutes later, Green said her front door was open and her wallet was sitting on the kitchen counter by the window. The screen had been pulled out and was lying on the lawn in her backyard. Green, who is confined to a wheelchair and cannot get out of bed on her own, said this is the first time something like this has happened to her in the three years she has lived alone in the house. She has never worried before about leaving her windows open, but admitted that a homemaker recently warned her about break-ins in the area. "I thought, 'They're not going to come in my windows'" she said. "I'm mad at myself that I didn't think it could happen to me. "I guess I was lucky," Green said, adding she no longer leaves windows open and would phone police immediately if she thought she heard something strange again in the future. "I'm going to take a lot more precautions so it won't happen again. I'm keeping my windows locked." Home owners should double-check their policies to see whether or not their insurance covers a break-in at their home due to an open window. While most policies would cover a break-in even with an open window, it is a grey area that depends on the policy and the adjustor, according to a local insurance dealer. Police are asking residents to be vigilant and immediately report any suspicious behaviour to the RCMP or CrimeStoppers. White said the key thing people can do is to protect themselves and take an active interest in their neighbourhoods. Thieves have often been hitting neighbourhoods they don't live in, which should make it easier for people to spot strangers, she said. Crystal Meth Crystal meth is a synthetic drug full of potent chemicals melted down into a crystallized, pebble-like form. It is commonly snorted, injected with a needle or smoked in a hash pipe. According to police, the drug is highly-addictive, more so after one use than cocaine. A hit of crystal meth costs about $20, while a hit of cocaine costs about $50. Police also consider crystal meth a gateway drug to harder drugs like cocaine or heroine. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex