Pubdate: Wed, 02 Aug 2006
Source: Valley Sentinel, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Valley Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.thevalleysentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4237
Author: Bill Mahoney
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

WHOSE FAULT WAS IT?

On July 20 Valemount RCMP assisted by special units from Prince 
George and Vancouver raided a local residence. Police acted on 
information that the residence housed a crystal meth lab. But a 
thorough search showed that the house had no such lab, leaving the 
people living there embarrassed and outraged that their home and 
privacy had been violated.

The anger is understandable. In this country we enjoy a lot of 
individual freedom. We take certain rights for granted and it's a 
shock if authorities come into our home against our will. It is 
especially shocking when they come heavily armed and equipped to deal 
with life-threatening hazards.

That said, the people who make crystal meth, and the substances used 
to make it, are dangerous. This area of law enforcement is a risky 
business. Think of the number of police officers that this country 
has buried recently. Almost certainly, each of these deaths resulted 
in some part because of the killer's involvement with mind-altering drugs.

But the risk posed by crystal meth goes farther. Crystal meth and a 
lot of other drugs put the lives of their uses at risk. Listen to the 
parents of young addicts or the stories of people who are dealing 
with addiction. These drugs are so addictive and so debilitating that 
users can't look after themselves from one day to the next. In one 
way or another, the addiction is often a death sentence.

As a society, Canadians have decided to thwart easy access to illicit 
drugs. We have enacted laws and provided the means to have them enforced.

Even though the Valemount raid took place in accordance with those 
laws, it appears to have been a mistake -- but whose?

The RCMP acted on what it believed was accurate and reliable 
information. The provincial court official petitioned for a search 
warrant agreed there were sufficient grounds to issue one. The 
authorities did their jobs--no more, no less.

The responsibility for the home invasion lies with the people who use 
their homes to hide the manufacture of substances like crystal meth.

What happened here is what we have indicated we are prepared to 
accept in order to have mind-altering drugs controlled. The 
information on which the raid was based was clearly inaccurate, but 
the raid was the only sure way to find out.

And what of the innocent children that may have been traumatized 
during the raid?

Hopefully a caring and drug-free community will provide an 
environment in which they will mend.

At the same time, a clear signal that Valemount stands fast in its 
resolve to oppose drug abuse will help all village youth and their 
parents avoid the prospect of years of heart-wrenching unhappiness.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman