A plan to put more pot growers behind bars has a Burnaby activist smoking mad. Adam Scriven said a handful of people will gather outside Burnaby-New Westminster MP Peter Julian's office Monday, part of a nationwide day of protest against mandatory jail sentences proposed by the Conservative government. Introduced last month, Bill C-26 includes a one-year mandatory prison sentence for those dealing marijuana while involved with organized crime or using a weapon. It also includes two-year prison sentences for those running a grow operation of 500 plants or more. [continues 456 words]
Safe injection sites could become part of Fraser Health's anti-meth strategy, according to the health authority's top drug expert. "It's something I'm thinking about. The more crystal meth becomes a problem, the more we need safe places people can inject," said Dr. Akbar Bayanzadeh, Fraser Health's addictions leader. Crystal meth is a highly addictive street drug that can be made at home using items like cough syrup and kitty litter. It can be injected, inhaled, smoked or taken orally. [continues 296 words]
Surrey needs a team of dedicated court room watchdogs, according to a report prepared for the Surrey Methamphetamine Regional Task Force (SMART). The report follows a six-week "court watch" pilot project that wrapped up in February. The project saw 15 civilian volunteers in court each day, taking notes on cases involving drug-related crimes. "The pilot was a huge success," said Dave Jensen of the Surrey Crime Prevention Society. "This is something we need if we want to target Surrey's drug problem and all the property crime that goes with it." [continues 168 words]
Like any bride-to-be, Cheryl was busy, but happy. It was May 2002 and she had just been promoted to assistant meat manager at Save-On-Foods in Langley. But as her wedding day drew near, Cheryl, then 37, began to feel like there were not enough hours in the day. "I was incredibly stressed out and everyone could see it. Then my sister said to me, 'I think I've got something that can help you.'" That something was a highly addictive stimulant called crystal meth. [continues 678 words]
Seven per cent of Surrey's secondary students have used crystal meth at school, according to a district survey released this week. "It's alarming. I don't know that I was prepared to see that number," said Theresa Campbell, the school district's Safe Schools manager. The survey asked 14,000 students in Surrey's 18 secondary schools about their drug and alcohol use during the 2004/2005 school year. Nine per cent, or 1,260 students, said they had used crystal meth off school grounds, while seven per cent, about 980 students, admitted to using the highly addictive drug on school property. [continues 417 words]
Const. Dale Johnstone lifts his binoculars, squints at a far-off powerboat zipping into U.S. waters. It's a sunny day - youths in bathing suits cut through the ocean on their parents' pleasure crafts. But the boaters on Johnstone's mind have dark motives. They are drug smugglers, human traffickers, terrorists. As head of the Integrated Border Enforcement Team's Pacific marine unit, Johnstone patrols the B.C.-Washington marine border in an RCMP police boat. IBET unit target cross-border criminal activity through a collaboration between U.S. and Canadian agencies like the RCMP and the U.S. Coast Guard. [continues 841 words]
Two Surrey residents are fed up after two weekend fires were set at a Whalley heritage building. Firefighters were called to 13946 Fraser Hwy. on Saturday after reports of a small blaze at the old woodworking shop. Squatters likely started the fire, said Surrey fire department battalion chief Jack Ingram. Built in 1945, Roll's Carpenter Shop is listed at the City of Surrey's heritage registry website. The building is considered heritage because of its architecture, which shows "some influence of Modernism," according to the site. [continues 350 words]
