Pubdate: Fri, 13 May 2011 Source: Alaska Highway News (CN BC) Copyright: 2011 Glacier Interactive Media Contact: http://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/716 Author: Ryan Lux, Staff Writer LOCAL RCMP AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY Throughout this week the Alaska highway News will be taking a closer look at how each of the units within the RCMP contribute to the safety and well-being of the residents of Fort St. John and area. DRUG SECTION In a young community, plush with cash, drug enforcement necessarily becomes a big part of police work. Constable Gary Grey is one of the Fort St. John officers on the local drug beat and spends most of his time targeting the local cocaine trade. In 2010, Grey and his colleagues ramped up their efforts to reduce the local cocaine trade, increasing arrests related to the drug by 53 per cent. The high levels of disposable income among the region's relatively youthful population makes Fort St. John a lucrative market for cocaine traffickers. At the same time, Grey explained that the dominant cocaine trade has actually prevented large amounts of meth from being introduced into the community. "Historically people who try and bring meth into Fort St. John get pushed out by the cocaine dealers, so looking from a police standpoint, we're actually pretty lucky that meth hasn't been brought in because it causes far more problems," explained Grey. Even without the presence of meth, Grey's drug unit is engaged in a constant battle to wipe the scourge of drugs from Fort St. John's streets. Over the last several months, Grey said his unit has cooperated with police in Chetwynd and Dawson Creek to make some big arrests and drug seizures. With hundreds of pounds of marijuana and significant amounts of other narcotics seized every year by police, residents might wonder where all the loot goes. Grey explained that police have a partnership with a local resource company, which allows them to burn seized drugs in a big furnace with stack scrubbers so the narcotics don't enter the atmosphere and create more problems. Working in the drug unit isn't just about breaking in doors and making arrests. Grey explained that constables working in his unit have to be more careful than most to make sure everything is done according to protocol. "It has to be rock solid," said Grey, "To prosecute a drug file is a lot more difficult than in other units, because we're always infringing on someone's rights by going into their cars and homes, so we have to make sure the investigation is good up to the point of arrest." A typical drug investigation involves a lot of surveillance explained Grey, whether it's talking with informants or users on the streets. For Grey, the most exciting part of the job begins after the surveillance is complete. "The most fun comes just before the arrest. Your adrenalin is high and you never know what's going to happen," said Grey, "Vehicles run and people run and you never know what's around that corner." Other than the excitement of the chase, Grey said the most satisfying part of his job is when he can make a difference in someone's life by getting them out of the drug world. BIKE PATROL Following last year's successful pilot project, Fort St. John RCMP will be staffing a police bike unit once again this summer. Constable Derek Rondeau is one officer who won't be needing much extra cardio time this summer, as he will likely get enough pedal-patrolling Fort St. John's streets, alleys and walking paths. The bike patrol is different from other police work, Rondeau explained, because it allows officers to integrate themselves better into their surroundings and removes the separation a squad car creates between cops and residents. One of the effects of policing by bike, said Rondeau, is that enables police to be more proactive. "You're not always responding to calls, so instead you can take the time to go to the skate park and talk with the kids there or cruise over to Kin Park and hang out with the kids hitting jumps," said Rondeau. In addition, Rondeau said that the bike patrol can often change the way residents perceive the police force. "It creates public awareness that we're not just people who go out to arrest people. Residents can approach us with questions or concerns," Rondeau said. The difference in speed and increased stealth gives officers on the bike patrol certain advantages their car-bound colleagues don't have. "Because we're traveling more slowly we can see things we wouldn't in the car. We also get to patrol areas like parks and trails which you can't get to in a car and people really appreciate that," Rondeau pointed out. One of the only pitfalls Rondeau could identify on the bike beat is lengthy exposure to inclement weather, but other than that he said he is really looking forward to June 6th when the patrol is scheduled to begin. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.