Pubdate: Sat, 20 Oct 2007
Source: Expositor, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The Brantford Expositor
Contact:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1130
Author: Briana Dobson

DRUGS PROMOTE OTHER CRIMES

This letter is in response to Sue McFadden's Oct. 18 letter, 
"Fighting abuse isn't exciting" regarding Brantford's street crime 
unit. Sue is interested in determining "why so much money is spent on 
undercover officers following people around 24-7, watching suspects 
running errands on the off chance that they might sell crack 
cocaine." Common sense and good judgment need to be applied to answer 
this question.

Not only are drugs a major contributor (not a cause) of crime, but 
they destroy the lives of the drug abuser and their associates.

The drugs that are being imported into Brantford have had a 
detrimental effect on some of our citizens. According to this article 
(and, I would argue, other scholarly sources from around the world), 
the need for addicts to obtain money to feed their drug habit has 
motivated them to commit property crimes - the ordinary crimes that 
McFadden is upset the police are apparently not focusing on.

McFadden is right that there is a high percentage of domestic 
assaults, overcrowded shelters and street kids living off petty 
crime. But I would argue that one of the major contributors to these 
problems is the drug trade, and that by targeting one of the root 
causes, the police are, in fact, combating other crimes as well.

I think money should be poured into the street crimes unit so we do 
not have a female drug addict so in need of a fix, that she has no 
alternative except to demoralize and demean herself by offering sex 
acts on the streets of Brantford for $2.50.

Briana Dobson

Brantford
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman