Pubdate: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) - -A33A-17DA3C8B2959 Copyright: 2004 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Lindsay Kines Study Cited: http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/040223/d040223a.htm VICTORIA STAYS NEAR TOP OF LIST FOR DRUG ARRESTS Greater Victoria has one of the highest drug crime rates in the nation, a new Statistics Canada study says. But Victoria police said the region's high ranking is partly the result of strong enforcement of drug laws. British Columbia led all provinces for drug offences, with nearly double the national rate. Greater Victoria ranked third among Canadian cities, with police reporting a drug crime rate of 459 offences per 100,000 people in 2002. Thunder Bay, Ont. was in top spot at 571, followed by the Lower Mainland at 468. Statistics Canada said drug rates in cities varied considerably over the past decade, but the Lower Mainland and Victoria were among the leaders each year. Victoria's deputy police chief Geoff Varley said the city has been a "statistical victim of our own success." "We've got a relatively high number of drug offences that we report because we're being quite proactive in targeting drug offenders, certainly in our downtown," he said. "Technically, if you do more work, unfortunately, the statistics go up, showing that you have more offences." Varley noted, however, that the number of offences in Victoria fell by more than 200 offences to 1,473 in 2002 from 1,689 in 2001. "The good part is that we're going the right way," he said. British Columbia's rate of drug-related incidents has been above the national average each of the past 25 years. In 2002, B.C. had a drug crime rate of 544 offences per 100,000 people -- almost double the national rate of 295. Saskatchewan ran a distant second at 351 incidents, New Brunswick was third at 343. B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman said the Statistics Canada numbers come as no surprise and called for tougher penalties to combat the problem. "Our law enforcement community is working night and day to push back on organized crime and all the issues in and around the drug trade," he said. "I've been saying to the federal government for the last two years that we need to have some increased penalties." Coleman said B.C. pays a high price because the United States imposes stiffer penalties than Canada for drug crimes. "Their attitude down there, frankly, is: 'We're going to keep our penalties high, so they'll go to an easier jurisdiction to do business.' Which is British Columbia. I don't like that, and I think we have to push back on it." Statistics Canada said the national drug crime rate has been on an upward trend since 1993, driven by a rising number of marijuana offences. The rate of marijuana crimes jumped 80 per cent over the 10-year span -- largely because of a rise in the number of possession charges. Cities near international airports or marine ports have been major access points for the movement of drugs in and out of the country, Statistics Canada said. "According to the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC), organized crime groups involved in the drug trade have a presence at several of Canada's marine ports, particularly Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax," the report says. "For example, organized crime groups in Lower Mainland B.C. are well situated geographically to exploit the international trade of illicit drugs around the Pacific Rim." Statistics Canada also noted the link between drugs and violence, reporting that 684 homicides -- about one in 10 -- from 1992 to 2002 were drug-related. Of those, 19 per cent took place in Vancouver, 18 per cent in Montreal and 12 per cent in Toronto. More than half of the homicides involved heroin. Drug Crime: Number of drug offences reported by police per 100,000 population in 2002 Thunder Bay, Ont. 571 Greater Vancouver 468 Greater Victoria 459 Trois-Rivieres, Que. 364 St. Catharines-Niagara 316 Saskatoon, Sask. 306 Gatineau, Que. 287 Sherbrooke, Que. 280 London, Ont. 269 Quebec City 252 Source: Statistics Canada - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman