Pubdate: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2004 The Calgary Sun Contact: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67 Author: Mike D'Amour, Calgary Sun Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?216 (CN Police) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) COPS FEAR NEW CRIME WAVE Drug-Dealer Plot To Peddle More Crack May Trigger More Criminal Acts In City An insidious plot by Calgary drug dealers to get more customers hooked on their poison has cops and others worried a second wave of a crack epidemic will mean even more crime on our streets. "The dealers are beginning to limit the amount of powdered cocaine to their customers and instead make crack out of it," a police source who did not want to be identified told the Sun. "Pretty soon, cocaine will only be available in crack form." That means more customers and bigger profits for the dealers. "The majority of cocaine comes into the city as powder," explained RCMP Staff Sgt. Birnie Smith. Dealers here perform a "cook" of the powder using baking soda in a simple procedure to make the more profitable crack, he said. The advantages of that are two-fold for those who manufacture and sell the crack. "It depends on the purity of the cocaine, but if you've got a quite pure gram of coke, you'll get at least three-quarters of a gram of crack out of it," Smith said. That same gram of powdered coke, which would sell for about $100 on the street, is now worth double that once it becomes crack, which is even more addictive than cocaine. "That means more addicts on the street," said the source. "They'll have to get the money to buy it from somewhere and I can tell you few of them have nine-to-five jobs." Addicts who prefer to inject powdered cocaine said they've noticed the supply is dwindling. "Powder is getting harder and harder to find," said Ed, who asked that his real name not be revealed. In desperation, the 25-year-old addict said he'll take a solid rock of crack and mix it with vinegar and lemon juice to melt it. "It burns like hell and you don't get the same high," he said, admitting he'll probably start using crack the way most do, by smoking it. Police say most crackheads are involved in criminal activities, including muggings, home break-and-enters, armed bank robberies and other serious of crimes. "The crimes associated to crack can be overwhelming at times, especially when you respond to things like three stabbings in one night," said Dist. 1 police Const. Ryan Jepson, a 33-year-old street cop, referring to a recent spate of violence in the downtown core. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek