Pubdate: Fri, 13 Feb 2004
Source: Lindsay Daily Post (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 Lindsay Daily Post
Contact:  http://www.thepost.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2333
Author: Ben Medd

STOPPING CRACK A TOUGH TASK

Everyone Needs To Be Involved If Crack Problem Is To Be Resolved.

LINDSAY - Crack cocaine will be a problem in Lindsay as long as
the community chooses to ignore it, as police and legal officials can only
do so much to fight the spread of the highly addictive drug.

Federal Crown Attorney David Gemmill said the only way to reduce the
presence crack and other hard drugs have within Lindsay is for the public to
become involved.

"If the community reacted to the drug problem the way they reacted to the
SARS epidemic the situation would improve. But if you see someone sleeping
in the alley you can look the other way, but if someone is coming at you
with a mask on, it's harder to ignore," Gemmill said. "You need to be
prepared to inform someone when suspicious and to be prepared to let the
Attorney General and thus the judges know stiffer fines are required."

When prosecuting crack cases in court, Gemmill said he takes a few factors
into consideration before deciding what penalty the Crown will seek.

"The issues are, quantity and does the accused have a past criminal record
or a criminal record involving drugs," he said of his methods. "If it
involves trafficking, it depends what was the locale and who were the
intended customers of the drugs. I take a difference if there is an exchange
inside a bar between consenting adults; that's different from selling crack
to someone in high school."

Gemmill said he can only do so much when it comes to the legal side of
dealing with crack cocaine and said much of the onus must fall on the family
and friends of the user to help convince them to undergo rehabilitation.

"It's a tragedy because the family won't turn them in. But you have got to
get them into a facility and start the healing and start the preaching," he
said. "But rehab is no different than alcoholics anonymous. It's no better
than the commitment you have. It's only as good as the graduate."

Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Randy Martin said police can only do so much
when it comes to forcing crack dealers out of town.

"You could literally throw countless dollars at the drug problem and slow it
down, but once the enforcement level would be reduced, it would return to
the level it previously was," he said. "Law enforcement agencies over the
years have strategized and planned and spent billions of dollars to combat
the problem and the problem is still with us."

Martin said he is fully aware of key players in Lindsay's drug industry, but
said knowing is only half the battle.

"We are only too well aware, in a community of this size, of individuals
engaging in illicit drug use and trafficking," the chief said. "But knowing
is one thing. Arresting, obtaining enough evidence to obtain a search
warrant, convicting in court, that's entirely another matter."

Pastor Ken Gorham, who operates a soup kitchen near downtown Lindsay, also
said a message needs to come from the community that drugs won't be
tolerated here.

"Unless the public rises up to let the dealers know we don't want this in
our town, it will always be here. Somehow, we've got to bring awareness to
the dealers that this is one community which won't condone this and that if
they stay here they will be prosecuted and thrown in jail," he said. "We've
got to somehow get to our judicial system to enforce the sentences for those
crimes. A slap on the wrist doesn't cut it."

Gorham said everyone in Lindsay needs to be aware of the town's growing
problem with crack cocaine in order for any real progress to be made.

"We're trying to bring public awareness to a community. Because no one in
your family or your circle of friends has this problem, it doesn't mean it
doesn't exist," he said. "If you are in doubt, check out your court
statistics and local petty crime, because petty crime is how they feed their
habits. That's why petty theft is escalating the way it is in the town of
Lindsay. This is primarily because of crack cocaine. Crack destroys lives
and it doesn't have an age limit, young or old. It can do as much damage in
a year and a half as a lifetime of alcoholism."

'Mike,' an anonymous source contacted by The Daily Post, who has an intimate
knowledge of Lindsay's crack trade, said police need to start busting the
users in order to send a message to those running the show.

"What the police need to do is start busting the street buyer because they
are not smart enough to put it up their ass or 'hoop it' as it is called.
They carry it in their hands or mouth," he said. "If they busted the street
level buyers it would create confusion to dealers. Their biggest worry is
someone working for them who becomes a rat after they are busted. And if you
get rid of even one dealer it will be a message sent from the police and
community that this will not be tolerated. It's like taking back the night."

But not just policing is needed to reduce the impact crack cocaine is having
in town, Mike said, as everyone needs to work together to ensure dealers
know they are no longer welcome.

"I would like to see more community involvement in the education,
rehabilitation and the elimination of crack cocaine," he said. "If they
allow this to go on, they will be spending huge amounts on social assistance
and medical bills as opposed to spending money on the policing end and
education and prevention now. So, it's either spend a whole lot over a long
and continuing period of time or pay a lot out now to stop it before it gets
worse.

"For every one crack dealer there are two more waiting in line, so it's time
to stop thinking about 'Joe Politician's' image and start thinking about the
kids that in two years will be trying crack."

But Police Chief Martin said enforcement can only do so when it comes to
drug trafficking.

"I believe we have only to look at the problems in the European countries,
or the United States, which we generally lag behind, to identify that those
nations have not been able to successfully eradicate substance abuse in a
democratic society," Martin said. "In cultures where people are put to
death, they have not been able to completely eradicate substance abuse and
in my mind, that is hard line."

While Martin said tougher penalties still do not effectively stop drug use
and trafficking, it can reduce the presence of drugs in the community. But
the courts are not imposing stiff enough sentences for drug users and
dealers, he said.

"The penalties are currently in place under the Criminal Code and those
penalties, are never and to the best of my knowledge, have never been
exercised," Martin said. "Both the federal and provincial governments are
interested in reducing the number of individuals in jail with early parole,
probation and community work. That's reality, one only needs to sit in any
courtroom to see that. So one one hand we have a society that desires to
reduce the impact of illicit substances and at the same time is doing
certain things that will indeed affect society by causing the use of illicit
substances."

Detective Const. Brad Manning, of the Cobourg Police Service, said people
need to take a stand in order to push crack back out of any area.

"Again, it's public awareness," he advised. "Be aware of your surroundings,
what's going on, who's doing what. It effects everybody, local business
people, our kids our schools and so everybody's got to stand up. When drugs
are prevalent all kinds of crime are prevalent, break and enters, robberies
and theft."

Sergeant Rob Hotston, of the Peterborough Police Service, said regardless of
where you live, any drugs being sold in your community are a direct link to
organized crime.

"It is part of organized crime, there are no ifs, ands or buts about it,
whether it involves outlaw motorcycle groups or southeast Asian gangs. When
there is money to be made criminals become organized," he said. "Just
because you think that you are living off the beaten path in a city doesn't
mean you aren't surrounded by the impact of organized crime. That goes for
any place in Ontario where drugs are sold whether that be Lindsay or Ottawa
or Toronto. The money all goes to criminal groups."

Detective Const. Terry Cox, of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service, said
because of the trend toward younger people in town using crack, parents need
to make a point of knowing as much about their children as they can.

"It's important for parents to know who their kids are hanging around with
and where they are," he suggested. "As a parent, I would be concerned if my
kid was hanging around outside with no purpose. It's important to know who
your kids are hanging around with and push them toward good peers."

City of Kawartha Lakes OPP Const. Ted Schendera said there are a few signs
parents should be looking for if they have concerns their children are using
drugs.

"Generally it doesn't matter if it is crack, marijuana, or heroin, you are

going to see the same type of symptoms in your child or friend. It has a
very debilitating effect on the body," he said. "Certainly, as a parent they
have to watch what group their children are hanging around with. They need
to know who the kids are who are hanging around with their child. They also
need to think about what their child is getting involved in during the late
hours at night and take notice if their child becomes remote from the family
and are not as social with the family."

Crack cocaine has been spreading throughout Lindsay for the past five years
and officials fear if the community does not become involved in the issue
and heed their advice, the community's children will continue to fall victim
to the highly addictive drug. With children as young as 12 already using
crack, change needs to come soon, they said.
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