Pubdate: Wed, 01 Jun 2005
Source: Red Deer Express (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 Red Deer Express
Contact:  http://www.reddeerexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2920
Author: Johnnie Bachusky
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DIAL-A-DOPE INCREASING

Highly sophisticated dial-a-dope operations have grabbed a foothold in Red 
Deer as major criminal organizations expand into smaller communities.

Red Deer's growing dial-a-dope problem was identified in a recently 
released annual report from the province's Criminal Intelligence Service (CIS).

"Police believe that dial-a-dope activities involving traffickers from 
Edmonton and Calgary will continue to occur," said the annual report.

The 25-page report also notes that increased pressure on gangs in Edmonton 
is forcing criminal organizations that deal drugs to expand into smaller 
municipalities.

Red Deer city RCMP Cpl. Steve Cormack, who heads the detachment's Street 
Team, said dial-a-dope operations have been in Red Deer for three years and 
their activities are increasing.

Cormack said his team has identified four separate groups in the city who 
are recruited from major urban centres.

He said the recruited "runners" work in teams of two, seven days a week, 24 
hours a day, and usually out of hotels or rented apartments selling smaller 
amounts of crack or cocaine.

Cormack said the runners, who are usually young and traveling in newer 
expensive motor vehicles, frequently change locations and cell phones, and 
are given phone numbers of lawyers in case they are nabbed by police.

"They frequently carry it (drugs) in their mouths and swallow it if stopped 
by police," said Cormack, adding four dial-a-dope runners have been nabbed 
by local RCMP in the past month.

He said the dial-a-dope technique is becoming increasingly popular with 
criminal organizations, mainly because operations are highly mobile.

"It is a way of avoiding police detection. They can move a lot of product 
in a day and not draw a lot of attention," said Cormack, adding the runners 
can be dangerous as many carry weapons.

He said the dial-a-dope operations have also been established in Sylvan 
Lake, Lacombe and Innisfail.

"They (criminal organizations) are setting them up all over the province," 
said Cormack. "There is a demand for it."

Meanwhile, the annual report also said the number of robberies in Red Deer 
over the past year is "directly" related to crack cocaine and 
methamphetamine addictions.

"It is not that this year is unique," said Red Deer city RCMP Const. Carol 
McKinley, the detachment's media liaison, who added the annual report's 
comments were "not a surprise" to the detachment.

"We know some of our armed robberies are attributed to drug use."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth