Duane Hicks
The 2009 OPP community satisfaction survey conducted this past spring indicates nearly 60 percent of respondents are very concerned about illegal substance abuse in Rainy River District.
The OPP has responded by introducing a Community Drug Action Team (CDAT) to the area, which is working with other agencies to enhance enforcement and education here.
Cst. Anne McCoy, the OPP’s community services officer here, explained CDAT consists of one local drug enforcement officer, who is teamed up with one full-time officer from Treaty #3 Police, and together they serve as liaisons with the regional and provincial drug enforcement teams.
“They have a local function,” she noted. “In the past, if we needed drug enforcement, we would have to call in our regional drug enforcement team to come in and specifically handle a drug enforcement investigation if it was kind of a little bit beyond us from the platoon standpoint.
“So now we have one full-time officer that’s able to develop informants here and co-ordinate local resources here, and gather information locally from our platoon officers that are out on the road.
“It’s specifically for concerns that relate to unlawful drug misuse, so we’re looking at having a local flavour but also liaisoning with the provincial and regional team,” she added.
The provincially-funded CDAT officer also assists with drug presentations to the private-sector or to assist Cst. McCoy with her work in district schools.
“That officer would relay information back to me as the D.A.R.E. officer to keep me up to date with the current trend he’s seeing in the drug world, so to speak,” she explained.
“That helps me relate updated and current information to educate the students as to what’s out there, and hopefully offer some more prevention tips for the students.”
Through the detachment commander, the CDAT officer also liaises with the Opiate Task Force to keep it apprised of what sort of drug enforcement issues are present in the district.
Cst. McCoy said having a CDAT here enhances the local focus on drug enforcement—and already is having an impact.
“We’re trying to tackle drug traffickers on a local level, the drug users, people that have possession for the purpose of trafficking, and the word is getting out there now,” she remarked.
“Local drug traffickers are realizing that we do have an officer that specifically is focusing on the issue.”
Insp. John Kendrick, detachment commander for the Rainy River District, noted illicit drugs always are a concern for police, but it being such a high priority among the residents surveyed was “enlightening.”
He added the survey results indicating the concerns about drugs also have been echoed by the local Police Services Board and community groups, making it clear that the implementation of a CDAT officer here was needed.
Insp. Kendrick noted the CDAT certainly will be included in the OPP’s business plan for 2010 and beyond.
