Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jul 2016
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Page: A4
Copyright: 2016 The StarPhoenix
Contact:  http://thestarphoenix.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Charles Hamilton

CRYSTAL METH FUELS RISE IN CRIME

Addictive Drug Partially to Blame for Increase, Says Police Chief

An influx of crystal meth in Saskatoon is helping fuel the city's 
crime problem, according to police chief Clive Weighill.

"It's driving a lot of our property crime, our break and enters our 
thefts," he said.

Saskatoon again has the worst crime rate in the country and Weighill 
said the deadly and highly addictive drug is partially to blame.

Last year, Saskatoon police laid 108 charges for crystal meth 
possession - double the 54 laid in 2014 and the 22 laid in 2013.

Crystal meth trafficking charges were also up last year - 24 charges 
in 2015, compared to 18 in 2014 and 16 in 2015.

Case managers like Rachel Perehudoff with the Saskatoon Health Region 
see the trend almost daily.

"It's the most debilitating, dysfunctional drug I've ever seen," 
Perehudoff said.

She specializes in helping people with HIV and has seen a spike in 
meth users in the last 18 months, she said.

Some are even resorting to injecting the drug, which can mean HIV and 
other diseases are spread through users more easily.

Christy Becker-Irving, the nurse at Saskatoon's Brief Detox Unit, 
said more patients who come to the facility are crystal meth users.

"There defiantly has been an increase and we are finding it 
problematic," she said.

Users are often paranoid and sometimes psychotic when they are 
admitted to the facility, making treatment that much harder.

Because the drug is so addictive, cheap and readily available, many 
users turn to crime to feed their habits, according to city police 
Sgt. Michael Horvath.

"It seems to be a common theme in a lot of our investigations. Not 
all of them, but a percentage for sure," Horvath said.

Addicts often commit break and enters and trade the stolen goods for 
a fix, he said.

Everything from bicycles to electronics can be used as currency to 
buy crystal meth from dealers.

Horvath said the cycle of addiction - especially with a powerful drug 
like crystal meth - often leaves people feeling they have no choice 
but to commit crimes.

"Once they get into it, it's hard to get out."

Rand Teed, an addictions consultant, said he, too, has seen an 
increase in the number of people enrolling in rehab because of crystal meth.

Unlike cocaine or crack, meth is easily produced in Canada and as a 
result is much cheaper and easier to buy.

The high from the drug also seems to last longer, with users often 
staying up for days on end.

"I think a lot of it is economics," Teed said.

People shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that just because they 
don't use meth they don't have a substance abuse problem, he said, 
adding people who regularly abuse other drugs - even things like 
marijuana and alcohol - are also at risk.

"What we are looking at is a very rampant epidemic substance problem."

Weighill said proper and increased addictions programs are the only 
way to get at the root of Saskatoon's crime issue.

"I will certainly be lobbying - as I have in the past - for 
addictions centres, for programming for mediation services, ways we 
can bring people together and help them without getting them into the 
criminal justice system."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom