Pubdate: Sat, 05 Mar 2005
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2005 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Elizabeth Thompson, The Gazette
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?216 (CN Police)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

CLOSING DETACHMENTS A BAD MOVE: FORMER MP

A plan to close several RCMP border detachments in Quebec risks helping 
marijuana grow operations lining the Canada-U.S border flourish, former 
Liberal MP David Price warned yesterday.

"I think they will increase now," said Price, former MP for 
Compton-Stanstead who specialized in defence and security issues in 
Parliament. "They've got a much more open window there. They know here's 
one whole RCMP pole that won't be watching what they are doing."

Price's comments come in the wake of Thursday's tragedy that saw four RCMP 
officers killed in the line of duty following a raid on a marijuana growing 
operation in Alberta. They also come in the wake of an announcement by the 
RCMP that it is closing several small border detachments in order to 
concentrate its efforts on investigations.

At times, U.S. authorities are more aware of grow operations on Canadian 
soil than are Canadian authorities, Price said.

"The Border Patrol on the other side is looking across. They see these 
operations. They see these grows because let's face it, they've got 
cameras, they've got overhead. They know what is going on. They used to be 
able to say to the RCMP we know there's a thing over there. Let's get 
together on this and stop it because it's coming across the border."

Price doesn't buy the argument the Surete du Quebec can fill the void left 
by the RCMP.

"They've just taken over the municipal policing in all of those areas. They 
are stretched now. They are having a wicked time of it."

Nor does the SQ have close ties to the U.S. border patrol, he said.

"The Border Patrol don't really talk to the SQ. They talk to the RCMP, 
that's a national police force."

Price said he supports decriminalizing marijuana, but says any move to 
legalize it could cause problems for border communities. Instead of having 
to deal with the problems caused by teenagers who can legally drink in 
Quebec but not in their home states, they could be faced with young people 
crossing the border in search of marijuana.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager