Lethbridge regional police are seeing a trend toward more violence and weapons in the city, due in large part to the infiltration of new, more ruthless elements of the drug trade. "We have seen a different kind of drug trafficker in this city than we did, say, 10 and 15 years ago. We're seeing organized crime groups from other cities, people from different personal backgrounds that are recent arrivals to the city, and they've brought with them a different attitude towards violence," said Insp. Colin Catonio. "That includes pointing firearms, whether they're real or not." [continues 617 words]
Province-wide standards are being proposed to ensure Albertans don't get burned by unwittingly buying or renting homes formerly used as marijuana growing operations. New guidelines being proposed by the Alberta Real Estate Association would set uniform remediation standards for such properties across Alberta and would legally require sellers to disclose whether homes have any history as grow ops, even after they've been restored. "We're looking at this strictly as consumer protection," said Bill Fowler, director of industry and government relations for the association. "Our fear is always that someone is going to give it a five-gallon overhaul and not do the work that needs to be done. [continues 551 words]
The fact cocaine has become the drug of choice locally is evident from the proportion of those trying to kick their addiction to it. Although alcoholism continues to be the most common reason clients seek treatment, those addicted to cocaine in its various forms are the second largest group, according to Susan Canning, supervisor in Lethbridge for the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC). Twenty-two per cent of their clients come in seeking to kick their addiction to cocaine or crack, a solid form of the drug. Those statistics are in line with proportions seen across the province. [continues 432 words]
One Man's Journey To Hell And Back His name is Mark and he's spent nearly 40 of his 54 years chasing his next high. He started using drugs at the age of 15 and didn't stop until he was 49. "I've done every drug you can imagine," he says. Mark's favourite was crack -- the solid form of cocaine. The effects of cocaine, in its various forms, are being seen increasingly at the local level. Trafficking has increased substantially in the past couple of years, according to Lethbridge regional police. Among clients in drug and alcohol rehabilitation locally, the proportion of those in for cocaine addiction is second only to those seeking treatment for alcoholism. [continues 705 words]
Stiffer Sentences Essential To Discouraging Drug Couriers Stiff jail sentences for drug couriers send the right signal to other smugglers but do little to stem the overall flow of drugs across the Canada-U.S. border, says a southern Alberta border cop. Because of the large amounts of money to be made for transporting drugs, penalties such as the eight-year jail term handed out locally this week to a convicted cocaine smuggler are essential to discourage others from doing the same thing, says Const. Jeff Smith of the RCMP Rocky Mountain Integrated Border Enforcement Team. [continues 389 words]
Customs Agency Marks 25 Years Of Canine Service Sniffing out illicit drugs and guns is all in a day's work for Hershey, southern Alberta's own specially trained customs detector dog. But is it work at all to the chocolate-brown Labrador retriever? Not really, according to Gordon Luchia, spokesman for the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, who says although smuggler sniffing is a serious business to us humans, it's just a game for the pooches that do it. [continues 334 words]
Drivers who take the high road could find themselves afoul of the law under a plan being touted by the federal government. Ottawa is looking at empowering cops to conduct roadside tests on suspected drug-impaired drivers as well as additional, more intrusive, testing at police stations. A discussion paper, expected to be officially released Wednesday, outlines changes that have been sought for years by the provinces and police forces. Lethbridge police favour such a legal change, especially given the federal government's efforts to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. [continues 281 words]
The recent wave of convenience store and gas station robberies might be traced to cocaine users trying to feed pricey drug habits. That's one motive Lethbridge police are considering in the wake of the city's 12th and 13th commercial robberies of the year Tuesday. A lone man claiming to have a gun tried to hold up a northside gas bar just before 10 p.m., only hours after two men robbed a southside confectionery at knifepoint. "There's a correlation between crime and drug abuse and trafficking. That's one of the avenues we would have to explore in relation to these commercial robberies," says Sgt. Jamie Fisher. [continues 250 words]
Lethbridge police are disappointed they and other medium-sized police agencies in the province have been shut out of new funding announced Thursday to fight organized crime. The Alberta government is creating a provincial police unit to battle organized crime by gangs that have infiltrated cities throughout the province. The province will spend an additional $3.5 million this year to fight organized crime and street gangs. It appears none of that new money will make it beyond the province's two major centres. [continues 378 words]
A major seizure of crack cocaine is evidence that outlaw biker gangs are doing their dirty business in southern Alberta, says Lethbridge's police chief. "They've been here for some time and it's not just outlaw motorcycle gangs, it's organized crime. Asian organized crime is clearly here in the city," said police Chief John Middleton-Hope. "There are Hells Angels living in Coaldale, there are Hells Angels living in Lethbridge, there are Hells Angels living in the vicinity," he said. "How do they operate? They operate through fear and intimidation" and make money by selling drugs and exploiting women. [continues 333 words]
It may not look any different from the outside, but the Lethbridge police department is taking on a whole new look on the inside. In his first month on the job, police Chief John Middleton-Hope has initiated a major restructuring which he says will help the service make the most of its resources and address staffing shortages in key areas such as street patrols and drug investigations. Key to the plan is funding for six more police officers in 2003, which he will seek from city council next month in the new three-year police budget. Beefing up police presence in the downtown core with more foot patrol officers is a top priority. [continues 414 words]
A bad batch of ecstasy that felled three people in Calgary last weekend doesn't appear to have hit Lethbridge streets. Lethbridge city police still warn, however, that anyone dabbling with the illegal drug is playing a dangerous game, regardless of its so-called "quality". The biggest risk for users is they have no way of knowing what they're buying or the concentration of chemical it contains," said Staff Sgt. Colin Catonio. "You're literally buying poison." Early Saturday morning in Calgary three men -- all in their early 20s -- were taken to hospital after reacting to the drug. All are expected to survive. [continues 158 words]
Urban Hope will join with local schools and police to make Drug Free Zones a reality at schools, says the organization's chairman. "We're going to take the initiative," said Ted Pimm. "I can't think of anyone more suited to do it. We're pretty excited about it." Urban Hope is made up of local citizens concerned about crime prevention in the community. The group has scheduled a meeting next Wednesday for anyone interested in being on a steering committee for the initiative. [continues 254 words]
