Pubdate: Fri, 15 May 2009 Source: Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON) Copyright: 2009 Sun Media Contact: http://www.thewhig.com/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx Website: http://www.thewhig.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/224 TARGET SERIOUS END OF DRUG SPECTRUM Kingston Police Chief Stephen Tanner suggests that crime rates in Kingston will rise because of an increase in drug enforcement. Tanner is on the right track in bolstering the department's drug unit and targeting drug crimes that he believes are linked to other criminal acts, such as robberies. The chief's comments about drug enforcement come on the heels of a Statistics Canada report that Kingston had a drug offences rate well below the national average. According to the report, the city's rate was 209 incidents per 100,000, about 30% under the national rate. But the chief warns that Kingston's rate will rise because "drug offences are 100% driven by enforcement." In fact, the chief is bracing the public for the possibility of doubling the amount of drug charges because of the additional officers. The upside is that public safety will improve in Kingston if drug operations are shut down and hardened criminals taken off the streets. It's not unlike the health-care system readjustments in recent years. The provincial government targeted improvements in areas such as wait times for certain procedures. By shifting resources into different areas of specialization, wait times for some procedures are improved. But shifting resources must be done for the right reasons and must yield the intended results. In the case of Kingston Police, the same applies. If the chief is reducing traffic patrols and transferring officers into drug enforcement, that could be a wise decision. Drug crimes have a greater impact on the community. We trust that Tanner is redeploying resources effectively. After all, the police consistently made a case in front of city council for more officers, so the department has no surplus staff. However, if the drug enforcement officers crack down on users and not pushers, is the community being made safer? Drug enforcement should be directed at users of hard drugs and dealers -- the more serious end of the drug crime spectrum. Rounding up pot smokers will only place an additional burden on the legal and justice systems and won't thwart the root problem. When the new StatsCan numbers are revealed, any increase in charges should be in the correct categories. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom