Pubdate: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 Source: Lethbridge Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2005 The Lethbridge Herald Contact: http://www.mysouthernalberta.com/leth/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/239 Author: Kristen Harding ORGANIZED CRIME IS A PROVINCIAL BATTLE Smaller Communities Experience Trickle-Down Effect Of Illegal Activities While gangs and organized crime are still more of a big city phenomenon, Lethbridge and other smaller communities have experienced a trickle-down effect from the illicit groups and their activities -- something a more collaborative approach to policing throughout the province is hoped to combat. "The gang problems for us are not that great, they do influence us," said Insp. Tom McKenzie, who attended an Edmonton meeting with Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko and officials from the province's seven municipal police services earlier this week. "We have seen relationships that have been developed. We have seen the influence of meth labs, we have seen, certainly, grow operations and we are impacted daily with the trafficking of crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine, to a lesser degree. (That reflects) liaisons or relationships with gangs or organized crime groups out of Calgary and Edmonton, into eastern parts of the country, B.C. and into the States." McKenzie explained initiatives to fight organized crime in bigger cities, such as the Integrated Response to Organized Crime, have forced illicit operations to expand to smaller cities, towns and villages. "There's anonymity in the smaller communities and the rural areas." To target the problem, the Solicitor General is seeking budget approval that would increase police manpower across the province as well as other strategies to collaborate their efforts. Locally, McKenzie says that could mean Lethbridge regional police providing more assistance including tactical support, bomb disposal and other specialized services, to smaller police departments in southern Alberta. "We have been able to assist Taber on a few occasions with bomb disposal and we have other services we might be able to spread out into the southern Alberta area that would assist agencies and also perhaps the RCMP." The push for more intelligence-led, collaborative policing could also mean additional government-funded positions in Lethbridge but McKenzie cautioned discussions "are very preliminary." "We could see an increase of manpower for the Lethbridge Regional Police Service based on funding from the government." In the meantime, McKenzie says the RCMP is assisting the police service expand its intelligence unit. "We have a two-man intelligence office and we're working with the RCMP who are assisting us with putting another member in. . . to look at organized crime activity in a global sense for the province, but also in the city." McKenzie said during the meeting, Cenaiko also discussed initiatives to create a number of police teams that would work throughout the province as well as a council that would meet quarterly to discuss decisions and issues "at the forefront of policing." Other topics included regionalization and a request for proposals to create a provincial police training academy. Lethbridge regional police, Medicine Hat, Taber and the Blood Tribe police, in partnership with Lethbridge Community College, have already established a facility locally -- the Centre for Advancement in Community Justice -- that fits the bill and will begin training an inaugural class of recruits in May. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth