Pubdate: Wed, 25 May 2005
Source: Meridian Booster (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005, The Lloydminster Meridian Booster
Contact:  http://www.meridianbooster.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1590

BRACING FOR THE DARK SIDE OF GROWTH

When our fair city was founded, it was with the hopes of developing a 
utopia of sorts.

When our fair city was founded, it was with the hopes of developing a 
utopia of sorts. Well, 100 years later, despite that utopian edge we might 
enjoy, the sad reality is that big city problems are hitting us full force.

This past weekend, a Lloydminster woman became part of a bizarre carjacking 
incident that, thankfully, ended with no major injuries and the arrest of a 
suspect.

Carjackings, once a crime more commonly seen from news in U.S. cities like 
Detroit and Los Angeles, have now made the headlines here at home.

In fact, in one weekend alone, we have seen a handful of other typically 
big city crimes, namely a drug bust that netted crack cocaine and a 
separate incident that saw more of the insidious drug being nabbed in a 
routine traffic stop that ended with crack and $10,000 in cash, leading to 
trafficking charges against two people.

Even our local hotel owners are feeling the need to take a proactive 
approach to drug control in the Border City, by doing what they can to 
prevent these slime bags from making highly dangerous drugs like crystal 
meth in local hotel rooms.

Does this mean the city is going to hell in a handbasket? No.

Does it mean we can't pretend to be a small prairie town? Unfortunately yes.

The RCMP does what it can to stay ahead of these crimes, but they can only 
do so much. More staffing would be a start, and a canine unit should be a 
no-brainer for the amount of drugs and drug-related crimes in Lloydminster. 
But that decision, of course, is out of the hands of our local officials.

Let's hope that the powers that be will soon see what we're seeing already 
- -- the dark side of growth.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth