Name a major illegal drug and it likely is being used in Mountain View County, an RCMP officer says.
Const. Terry Carew says they've found well-known drugs like marijuana, meth, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and fentanyl in the county, along with some people may not be familiar with, like shatter (an extremely potent form of marijuana).
“All these drugs are being seized in this area,” she said during a presentation at the annual general meeting of the Olds Rural Crime Watch Association (ORCWA) March 23 at the Eagle Hill Community Centre.
Carew said the RCMP crime suppression team, formed last year, dealt with drug trafficking as well as other concerns like rural mail thefts.
She said drugs were a significant issue in the county.
“I ran some stats for Sundre, Olds and Didsbury detachments, just for drug-related files and in this area last year, over 100 files that people called in were in relation to drugs; just possessing trafficking or using drugs in 2015,” she said.
A meeting participant expressed frustration with current drug laws in Canada.
“I feel the penalty for drug possession is too lax, because basically, the drug pusher is a murderer. Often people end up dying,” he said, adding that if drug dealers faced the same punishment that murderers do for their crimes, “maybe there would be a decrease in the drug selling.”
Carew could see the logic in that argument.
“I would say I agree with your frustration about drug trafficking. I think that most people start becoming drug traffickers because they have their own addiction and are trying to feed their own addiction by selling drugs; they try to support their own addiction,” she said.
“But yeah, I agree with you; people do die and yes, maybe there should be some stronger penalties. Unfortunately I'm not the person (who can change those laws), that's the government,” she added.
One meeting participant said she used to work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside where drug use is quite prevalent.
“I couldn't remember which drug causes people to be super strong,” she said.
“Alberta beef,” ORCWA chair Gerald Ingeveld said, sparking loud laughter.
"All these drugs are being seized in this area."CONST. TERRY CAREWRCMP
