Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 Source: St. Paul Journal, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2004 - St. Paul Journal Contact: http://www.spjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2368 Author: Leighton Klassen RCMP ADDRESS ST. PAUL CRIME ISSUES A national increase in the use and trafficking of the narcotic substance crystal meth, a chemical based stimulant, has been leaking its way into the crime sphere of all sectors of the country, and St. Paul is no exception. The topic was brought up at the last town council meeting by St. Paul Staff Sgt. Andre Routhier, who, in a separate interview, reaffirmed the problem and attributed its increased use to the convenience of the required ingredients. "There is a national trend towards the increased use of the drug crystal meth and it could be because the elements are found and purchased easily," Routhier said. But the increased presence of the drug doesn't just mean there are more people frying their brain cells using drugs -- there are other repercussions that leak into other sectors of crime. A detailed crime report, released by Routhier at the last Town of St. Paul council meeting, indicates there is an increase in break and enter crimes compared to the same time last year, something Routhier believes has been a result of the crystal meth problem. "I agree that crystal meth motivates individuals, through a dependence and desire to obtain more, to break the law, maybe through residential theft, so they can support their habit. It's a tough circle," he said. He further asserted break and enter crimes are usually influenced by drugs or alcohol. "They're usually someone who is looking for a financial gain, usually associated with drugs or alcohol." And although statistically the number of assaults is not higher than it was last year at this time, Routhier still pointed to their existence as a result of drug and alcohol abuse, among other factors. "Assaults are often related to alcohol and drug use," he said. "But they are mostly random, between people who know each other." Because these issues are crystal clear to the RCMP, Routhier says his clan is taking affirmative action. "There is a focus on break and enters. We're raising the bar on our investigations," he said. "Because of a trend on residential and other kinds of break and enters in St. Paul, Saddle Lake, and country wide, we're making sure our investigations and files are meeting quality assurance guidelines." Routhier also said there is currently a program in place to ensure these guidelines are met. "One of our new members is working on a community project focusing on break and enter through strategizing and using check off sheets." The cases of assaults can be further defined as domestic spousal violence, which is another area Routhier and the RCMP have in their crosshairs. "There's a focus on domestic spousal violence and we're making sure these investigations are done fully," Routhier said. He added in these cases, females are usually the victims and that most cases contain an undisclosed history where other acts of assault have gone unreported and have led to the reported incident. The St. Paul RCMP is the third busiest detachment out of all the municipalities in Alberta -- a statistic Routhier and the detachment won't argue against. "The pressure is pretty constant, we don't plan for quiet times, because there are none." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake