Pubdate: Sat, 01 Sep 2012
Source: Journal-Pioneer, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2012 Journal-Pioneer
Contact:  http://www.journalpioneer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2789
Author: Nancy MacPhee

A GROWING PROBLEM

Property is being stolen, homes are being broken in to and brazen 
crimes, including armed robberies, are taking place not only 
Summerside but across P.E.I.

The crimes, said Summerside Police Service Chief David Poirier, are 
the direct result of increased drug use and desperation by those 
addicted to get money for their fix.

This week, Ryan Wendell Cornish, of Summerside, was sentenced to six 
months behind bars for breaking into two city homes and stealing more 
than $10,000 worth of items, from rolled coins and a bicycle to a 
flat screen television.

The reason given by his defence attorney for the crimes was 
prescription drug addiction, a reason given more and more by those 
before the provincial courts on property-related offences.

"We find that a lot of these people that are apprehended, when they 
are interviewed, it's all drug related. It's to feed their 
addiction," said Poirier.

And it's a problem that the chief said is only getting worse with 
each passing year.

"It certainly is, in my opinion, getting out of control. We do need 
the public's help in this," he added. "I don't know where it is going 
to end. It's escalating right across the nation. It's not isolated to 
Summerside."

The chief has seen some as young as 11 and 12 charged with 
property-related crimes to feed their prescription drug addition, the 
drugs of choice among users today.

"It's fair to say that we're dealing with a lot younger people now. 
They're starting it at a much younger age," said Poirier. "This is 
right across the country. This is not isolated to Summerside. It's so 
easy, it seems, to get pills now that the youth are fixing on the 
pills and they do breaks or do something to feed their habit."

Prescription drugs are purchased illegally, but often coming from 
legal sources.

"We have people that come in to report their prescription stolen from 
their home. It leaves you wondering how does a person know that this 
person has drugs in his home," said Poirier. "The only way they can 
get another prescription is if they report it stolen. In some cases 
it might be legit but I feel, in some cases, it is not. I think they 
are either selling them or using them, overdosing on them, and not 
using the prescriptions properly."

Poirier said most of the property crime his department deals with are 
undoubtedly drug related.

"It's very seldom now that we see anybody stealing to feed their 
family," added the chief. "We don't see them stealing diapers and 
Enfalac or Similac.

Very seldom we see people stealing to feed their family. It's to feed 
an addiction."

Poirier admitted the drug problem has escalated in recent years 
although, he added, the number of property crimes his department has 
and is investigating are no higher than they were five years ago.

Earlier this week, a car was stolen from a city home after the thief 
entered the home's garage, took the keys and made off with the 
vehicle. The homeowners were inside the house, sleeping.

"I don't know if they are getting any more brazen. Several years ago 
it was a common sight for persons to break into people's homes when 
they were in their backyards during the day. That's what I call 
brazen," said Poirier.

"Lately, we've had a couple (of break and enters) where screens have 
been cut and garage doors have been cut and garage doors have been 
entered and vehicles stolen."

In 2008, residential break and enters in the city were at an all-time 
high at 107.

That year, the city's Community Safety and Crime Prevention 
Committee, chaired by Rev. Andrew Richardson, was struck to tackle 
issue head on. It held public meetings and sought citizens' input.

In 2010, the committee released its report, which indicated that 
residents needed to take a leading role in the battle against crime.

Poirier said the public's awareness has been raised, with more 
citizens reporting suspected crimes.

The following year, reported break and enters dropped to 68. Numbers 
continued to decline with 61 in 2010 and 54 in 2011.

To date, city police have investigated 31 break and enters.

But it's not only homes that would-be thieves are targeting.

Vehicles have become a quick and easy target for those looking for 
some quick cash.

"We had one of our officers go in a parking lot and do a random check 
of 200 vehicles and found 70 insecure," said Poirier. "By insecure, I 
mean not locked, leaving purses on the front seat, GPSs hooked up, 
cellphones, laptops and cameras in plain view.

As was the case with residential break and enters, thefts from 
vehicles were at an all-time high in 2008 at 354.

The numbers started to dip in 2009 with 227 reported thefts from 
vehicles and at 184 in 2010. But, it 2011, the incidences of thefts 
from vehicles rose, with 251 cases. To date, in 2012, there have been 
110 thefts from vehicles reported to city police.
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