DRUG TRADE FUELING OTHER CRIMES IN KELOWNA

Kelowna Mounties haven't let down their guard on downtown drug crime
as undercover officers identified another 21 people arrested or with
warrants for trafficking in cocaine.

Police have arrested nine people and have warrants to arrest another
dozen.

It's the second time this year that police blitzed the downtown, using
undercover officers from outside Kelowna to make covert drug buys.

In both cases, they waited until after the campaign was over to arrest
their suspects to avoid alerting the drug using public of their operations.

"These operations make the downtown less hospitable for people to
trade in drugs," said RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon.

"We believe many of those involved in trafficking are involved in many
of the secondary offences like robberies, break and enters, auto
thefts and other offences."

McKinnon expressed some frustration at the fact that three of the
people they caught were arrested in a similar sting in July.

He said a woman was convicted of trafficking cocaine and sentenced to
75 days in jail.

She was already back out and selling drugs again.

Another man is awaiting sentencing in December and the third had pled
guilty to a reduced charge of simple possession and was fined $250.

"It's something we are finding very frustrating," McKinnon
admitted.

"At the B.C. Chiefs of Police in Victoria, I was speaking with the
chief of the Vancouver Police Department and we have two distinct
problems. Their problem is a local issue where we feel the people we
are catching are outside of Kelowna."

McKinnon has asked the City of Kelowna to fund more police officers
but won't say how many.

He said Wednesday that foot patrols downtown will continue year
round.

"It is a 365-day-a-year problem. We will have to continue with
enhanced enforcement. It's not something we can just start in the
spring," he said.

" We will work at it continually but it is a burden on resourcing that
we could be doing other things."