Pubdate: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 Source: Peace River Record-Gazette (CN AB) Copyright: 2008 Osprey Media Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/uCYPgc0q Website: http://www.prrecordgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1232 Author: Michelle Huley HEAT IS ON DRUG TRADE A number of recent drug busts may have some residents alarmed, but Peace River's top copy says they're more indicative of the heat police have been applying to people involved in the drug trade, rather than an increase in drug activity. "We can look at this positively," said RCMP staff Sgt. John Haney, adding local Mounties have had some successes in disrupting the local drug trade. "We made a commitment to the community," he stressed of the RCMP's strategy to crack down on the local illicit drug trade. "We've been dedicating our efforts for the past six weeks" he said, adding police have executed a number of search warrants over that time and have been successful in laying an array of drug and weapons charges as a result. Police arrested three individuals Oct. 15 after a raid on a drug house in the South end of Peace River, seizing 60 grams of marijuana, 32 grams of cocaine, 16 grams of Psilocybin, three prohibited firearms and a significant amount of what is believed to be cash proceeds," Corey Leigh Curtis, 22, Keith Allen McComb, 29, and Ashley Dawn Woods, 19, were in Peace River provincial court yesterday on charges including possession for the purposes of trafficking under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act and firearms offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. The results of their court appearance were unavailable at press time. Haney emphasized while police have developed a zero tolerance to the drug trade and organized crime locally, they need the community to come forward. "We need people to be funneling us information," he said, and emphasized the success of recent busts have been a combination of police and community. "It was a combination effort. Our members have shown excellent initiative." Haney said an example of that combined effort, utilizing information from individuals in the community, was an arrest made at the Grimshaw Mile Zero Hotel last month. Arrests were also made earlier in October at Dixonville and Berwyn. Police were called to a Dixonville residence Oct. 5 after a man was allegedly threatened by two others, armed with a firearm and looking for drugs that had been stolen from another residence earlier in the week. The investigation also led to information enabling Mounties to shut down a local grow op, according to a press release issued at that time. "It all goes back to the overall strategy towards we're not going to let organized crime dictate our quality of life. People need to take an active role. "(Recent arrests) shouldn't shake our confidence in our standard of living. It should reaffirm how we need to be examining the root causes and using tools and strategies (such as) the community taking a strong stand against this type of activity. "We have several more investigations moving forward." Haney stressed the answer isn't enforcement alone, but rather a community effort. "We need people to realize we need their information and we won't put them in a precarious position. I think people can see the recent successes. If we can reach those people who know things. Ultimately an excellent tool that's under-utilized is CrimeStoppers. That's a program that locally, we need to expand on and encourage people to use." "The RCMP would like to acknowledge the efforts of the community in identifying persons suspected of being involved in the illicit drug trade within the Peace Region," states a media release from RCMP. "Enforcement efforts on this date were a direct result of tips that had been received from the public. Peace Regional RCMP would ask that the community continue to provide such information in an enhanced effort to stem the tide of drugs within the Peace Region." Heat wave Corey Leigh Curtis 22, Keith Allen McComb, 29, and Ashley Dawn Woods, arrested after a police raid on a south end drug house Charged with possession for the purposes of trafficking and firearms offences. They were in court yesterday, but the results were unavailable at press time. Grimshaw residents Bradley Woods, 25, and Joel Sylvester, 24, were charged with extortion involving a firearm, forcible confinement, and a host of weapons related charges. They were scheduled to appear in Peace River provincial court Monday, the results of which were unavailable at press time. Berwyn residents Peter Nowak, 41, and Cynthia Gillespie, 50 charged with unlawful production of cannabis marijuana. They were scheduled to appear in Peace River provincial court Monday, the results of which were unavailable at press time. Ronald James Lawrence, 20, was arrested by RCMP for attempted murder and a barrage of gun violations in relation to a September shooting. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance Oct. 6. Mukthar Ali, 20, and Daniel Terrance Guerin, 30, were charged with weapons offences, as well as possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and proceeds of crime on Oct. 12 after police performed a traffic stop on the vehicle they were in. A search warrant allowed RCMP to seize 5.2 grams of crack cocaine, along with cash proceeds and a prohibited weapon Shane Willier-Williams, 21, from Edmonton arrested Sept. 9 at a room at the Mile Zero Hotel in Grimshaw. These efforts resulted in the seizure of 28 grams of crack cocaine along with cash proceeds. It is alleged that the hotel room was being used as a point of sale for the distribution of drugs within the community. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and proceeds of crime. Willier-Williams wass scheduled to appear in Peace River provincial court yesterday. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin