Pubdate: Thu, 21 Dec 2006
Source: Smithers Interior News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.interior-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1631
Author: Thom Barker

NEIGHBOURS WANT DRUG HOUSE SHUT DOWN

A group of First Avenue residents are at their wits'  end following 
repeated break-ins, thefts and other  problems since August 2005.

"Directly across the alley from us is a known drug  house, which most 
of us in the area believe is where a  lot of our problems stem from," 
said Sandra Ritchie in  a letter to Mayor Jim Davidson and council 
requesting  help.

Sandra said poor police response has left the residents  feeling 
powerless especially after she and husband  Steve found two used 
syringes in the bed of their truck  while clearing their driveway on 
Oct. 30 and were told  by police to simply put the syringes in the garbage.

"What if we had put our one-year-old in the back of the  pickup while 
we shoveled?" she asked.

"I'm really frustrated, we just want our neighbourhood  cleaned up."

RCMP Staff Sgt. Rod Holland said police have opened an  operational 
file on the complaint, but because of the  vagueness of the 
information, it is difficult for them  to take action.

He said people are sometimes afraid to come forward and  even when 
they do, they often don't understand that  investigators need more to 
go on than suspicion, such  as the time and place of actual criminal 
activity,  descriptions or names of suspects, licence plate  numbers 
and other details that untrained observers  might not catch.

"Providing us with that additional information is  absolutely 
essential," he said.

Despite perception that nothing is being done, Holland  also asserted 
that RCMP have made a significant dent in  Smithers drug crime.

"Our strategic priority for the last three years has  been to reduce 
substance-related issues," he said. "We  actually have quite a high 
clearance rate on those  files."

Holland told The Interior News that his detachment has  seized $1.4 
million worth of cash and drugs over the  last year alone.

That is little comfort to Sandra, who said she doesn't  feel safe in 
her own home.

The Ritchies were also not impressed by council's  handling of their letter.

"That was pretty lame," Steve said following the Dec.  12 council 
meeting. "They spent more time talking about  recycling than the drug 
problem in this town."

Council only briefly touched on the letter passing a  motion to write 
a letter of response.

"I'm trying really hard to go through all the proper  channels, but 
every time I turn around it seems like  it's just being swept under 
the carpet," she said.

Public frustration over drugs in communities is growing  across the 
country erupting over the summer in New  Brunswick when four men 
burned down a suspected crack  dealer's house. The men were hailed as 
heroes by their  neighbours, but the court ultimately convicted them 
on  weapons and arson charges in November.

Sandra said they have no intention of taking matters  into their own 
hands, but they are running out of  patience and looking for any kind 
of help to curb  criminal activity in their neighbourhood.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine