Pubdate: Thu, 2 Apr 2009
Source: Annapolis County Spectator; The (CN NS)
Copyright: 2009 Transcontinental Nova Scotia Media Group inc.
Contact:  http://www.novanewsnow.com/rubrique-719-County-of-Annapolis.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4699
Author: Larry Powell

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DRUGS AND OTHER CRIMES

The connection between crime and drugs is so tight that in the law
enforcement community it's almost a given that a break and enter is
committed for only one reason -- money for the next fix.

Are drugs the motivator in every instance? That's impossible to know,
but police have always made a convincing case and the closer a person
is connected to law enforcement, the easier it is to believe.

In the broader community, that connection between crime and drugs
isn't as well recognized, partly because the majority of people are
upstanding citizen who don't do drugs and don't have any idea about
the power of addiction to cause people to do almost anything to
sustain their habit.

Last week in Middleton, there was a drug bust and a purse snatching.
The purse was grabbed in broad daylight in a crowded coffee shop. It's
difficult to comprehend the reasons a person would commit such a crime
in front of numerous witnesses. A few minutes later a suspect was
arrested, and you guessed it, he was in possession of drugs. So even a
simple purse snatching might be considered a drug-related crime.

The drug bust was made the day before at an apartment house only a few
hundred metres from where the purse was snatched.

Although these two crimes may not be directly connected, they do have
drugs and proximity in common. And of course nobody has been tried or
convicted so at this point the crimes are alleged. But it doesn't take
much imagination to see how drug use, drug dealing, and petty crimes
are related, even in small Annapolis County communities.

If the thinking is correct that petty crimes such as break, enter, and
theft are connected to drugs, then the community is in trouble.
Looking back over the years that The Spectator has published its
weekly Crime Report, there have been literally hundreds of break and
enters and other theft-related crimes. In other words, hundreds of
crimes directly related to drug use. More troubling is the realization
that once these petty criminals have secured their funds through their
crimes, they have easy local access to the drugs they so much desire.

The bottom line is that Annapolis County has a mix of drug users and
drug dealers. The addicts will always get their drugs and the dealers
will always have a healthy (so to speak) clientele. Unless, that is,
the community steps in to help. Every addict has friends and family
who know the situation and every drug dealer has people who know they
sell drugs.

The addicted can be helped and the dealers can be punished. The police
do their part both in enforcement and prevention. Perhaps the
community could do more. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake