Pubdate: Wed, 01 Jun 2005
Source: Brooks Bulletin, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Brooks Bulletin.
Contact:  http://www.brooksbulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2917
Author: Rob Brown
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

ORGANIZED CRIME, DRUGS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN BROOKS

With the perspective of Brooks changing status from a town to a city, 
perhaps as early as September, one has to remember that in many ways, 
Brooks is already a city, with big city problems.

One of these problems is organized crime and its natural association with 
the drug trade.

Mayor Don Weisbeck is not splitting any hairs when it comes to drugs in Brooks.

"There is no doubt we have an organized crime problem in Brooks," he says.

Weisbeck notes the organized crime within Brooks is a combination of small 
and larger operations.

"Some are local, while others tie into bigger groups outside the community."

Organized crime and the drug trade is a problem all of southern Alberta is 
dealing with, especially in communities such as Drumheller, Taber and 
Medicine Hat.

"The drug use alone is one kind of devastation being thrust onto the 
community, but the associated crime is another that comes with a community 
drug problem," he says.

Weisbeck notes that when people have an expensive cocaine habit, eventually 
the addiction will cost users their jobs in the community, and then when 
out of work, they have to resort to theft to feed their habit.

In terms of combating the problem, Weisbeck says there are ongoing 
operations that will help Brooks become an uncomfortable place for the drug 
trade and organized crime, adding the town is working with the RCMP drug squad.

Weisbeck says this cooperation can be seen in the recent bust of drug 
traffickers that involved RCMP from Lethbridge, Taber, Medicine Hat and Brooks.

Weisbeck thinks the proliferation of drugs into Brooks is almost a natural 
progression, as far as organized crime is concerned.

"I think what has happened over the last ten years or so is organizations, 
this business of crime and the drug trade has moved out from the larger 
cities and like any organization, has seen the profit in coming to outlying 
areas such as Brooks."

Weisbeck said Brooks, a town with a lot of money sometimes goes hand in 
hand with an expensive drug habit like an addiction to cocaine.

"As long as we are a prospering community, we will have this problem, 
however we are going to do all we can to make Brooks a very uncomfortable 
place for organized crime and the drug trade," he says.

Weisbeck even relayed a story of a Brooks mother with an 11 year old who 
was hooked on cocaine.

"It is stories like that that prove that Brooks has a serious problem, when 
a drug like cocaine is attracting teenaged kids and younger.
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