Pubdate: Fri, 10 Oct 2003
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Sarah O'Donnell and Hanneke Brooymans

'GET OUT,' MAYOR TELLS DRUG USERS, PUSHERS

Community Urged To Help Police After Rash Of Murders

EDMONTON - Drug pushers and their patrons aren't welcome here, Mayor Bill 
Smith said Thursday in an ultimatum prompted by a string of 14 fatal 
drug-related shootings since 2002.

Smith issued an impassioned appeal to everyone -- from the ordinary citizen 
to the premier himself -- to do their part to eradicate the increasingly 
deadly narcotics trade.

"To those people who seek profit from the drug trade and to those who 
support the drug trade by purchasing drugs, get out of Edmonton and get out 
of Alberta," Smith said.

"The call for action is for everybody to realize it's everybody's problem, 
and it's going to require everybody to help with the solution. The police 
can only do so much."

The most recent violent flare-up tied to the drug trade occurred early 
Wednesday morning. Richard Avinash Prasad, 17, was shot in the chest in 
what police described as a drug deal gone bad.

He was the third young man to die violently in the city in the last four weeks.

"I've watched this grow," Smith said. "But one of my main concerns is I 
don't want this community or this province or this country to slide into 
complacency that some level is acceptable."

In his unexpected news conference, Smith called on judges to impose tougher 
penalties, the government of Canada to keep marijuana illegal, educators to 
have zero tolerance for drugs in schools and parents to watch their 
children for changes in behaviour.

He also called on the premier and solicitor general to give police the 
resources they need to wipe out the drug trade in Alberta, service 
organizations to help with anti-drug education programs and recreational 
drug users to stop dabbling in substances that support organized crime.

"All of us need to declare war on drugs in Alberta and Canada and we need 
to support the police right across this country," Smith said.

Deputy police chief Mike Bradshaw said police welcomed the mayor's 
comments. Police fight illegal activity, but without help from others, the 
fight against drugs and gangs will be lost, he said.

"The police won't be able to handle it simply using suppression," Bradshaw 
said. "Intervention and prevention play a massive role."

But Ken Giroux Sr., whose son Eleazor died Sept. 24 after being shot in the 
back of the head, said Smith's call for drug dealers to leave town simply 
won't work.

"It's an almost impossible thing to do because when one moves out, another 
moves in," Giroux Sr. said.

He blamed his own three-decade history of drug dealing, ending in 1990, for 
his son's death. Other members of Eleazor's family denied he was involved 
with drugs. The police gang unit is involved in the investigation of his 
murder.

Giroux Sr. said drug dealers are focused exclusively on money and aren't 
going to be influenced by Smith's desire to expel them. Tougher penalties 
won't work either, he said, because the rewards are so lucrative.

It is more important to focus on prevention, he said.

"I think it all comes down to education, and there is no other way."

Coun. Michael Phair also said telling people to leave won't have any impact.

"There isn't any question we need to look for ways to prevent the activity 
that's going on, but I think that needs to happen at local levels," Phair said.

He said it's hard for the city to do anything about hard drugs getting into 
Alberta and Edmonton, a job better suited, he said, to the provincial and 
federal governments.

But the city can encourage communities to get together and talk about 
preventing and dealing with drug problems locally, Phair said.

Coun. Terry Cavanagh also disagreed with commanding drug pushers and users 
to leave the province.

"I don't want to send them to another province. Let's get rid of it here."

Cavanagh said the city already does a pretty good job of funding the police 
service, and more money should come from the province to help deal with 
drug-related court cases, which tie up officers who could otherwise be on 
the streets.

He also said it is up to police to find out if other cities have successful 
strategies for dealing with drug problems. The province should also 
consider more treatment programs for addicts, he said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman