Who is the babe?

The Star Phoenix has a way of packaging news that just makes you wonder. If I wasn't such a curmudgeon, I'd suspect that the following was a parody of the police. Take the picture, it has none of the flair one has come to expect of a drug bust. Where are the shotguns? this looks more like a bake sale table after the rush - some stale sugar cookies and a cash box.

I like bake sales. I could go for a brownie or two ... mmm brownies.

And, who is the woman in the background? Is she early for the party? Are she and the old guy gonna do a couple lines and then role around naked in the cash after the cameras are gone? These are the things, I as a reader would rather know.

You'd have to be sober to think this was a good way to spend our tax dollars.

Anyway ... here's the story.

CN SN: Combined Special Police Unit Pays Dividends With Big
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n433/a07.html
Newshawk: CMAP http://www.mapinc.org/cmap
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Webpage: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=a0130a80-27e3-41d5-aa9
Pubdate: Wed, 04 Apr 2007
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2007 The StarPhoenix
Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Author: Betty Ann Adam, The StarPhoenix

COMBINED SPECIAL POLICE UNIT PAYS DIVIDENDS WITH BIG BUST

New government funding designed to attack organized crime helped provide extra police for an investigation in Saskatoon that resulted in the arrest of four people Friday and the seizure of a kilogram of cocaine, an ounce of crack, four vehicles and $35,000 cash.

The successful conclusion of an investigation that began last December was celebrated Tuesday at the Saskatoon police station by municipal police and RCMP, including the combined forces special enforcement unit ( CFSEU ). The unit was created in 2005 with $2 million per year earmarked to attack organized crime, said Insp. John Cantafio, head of CFSEU.

That unit worked with members of the Saskatoon integrated drug unit, the Saskatoon Police Service street crime unit and support services from both forces, including a criminal intelligence analyst.

"That financial support allowed stepped up activity," Cantafio said.

The investigation involved about 30 officers who often put their personal lives on hold as they worked around the clock to complete the job, said Insp. Jeff Bent of the Saskatoon police.

On Friday afternoon, 15 officers stormed a house in the 200 block of Thomas Crescent in the west-side neighbourhood of Pacific Heights.

Darren Craig Harper, 35, Chad Michael Waldner, 26, both of Saskatoon, and Jonathon Robert Kearney, 24, of Calgary were arrested in connection with the raid.

That evening, police arrested Crystal Anne Servetnyk, 28, of Saskatoon at a house in the 400 block of Stensrud Road, in the northeast neighbourhood of Willowgrove.

Harper is charged with directing a criminal organization, participating in a criminal organization, criminal conspiracy, possession of property obtained by crime and trafficking in cocaine and possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was remanded in custody and returns May 2 for a bail hearing.

Harper is already facing charges that were laid following a 2003 police sweep. He was free on bail at the time of the arrest, police said.

Waldner and Kearney are each charged with participating in a criminal organization, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, trafficking in cocaine and possession for the purpose of trafficking. Kearney is also charged with possession of property obtained by crime.

Servetnyk is charged with participating in a criminal organization, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and possession of property obtained by crime.

Police also seized four vehicles during the arrests.

At the police station Tuesday, investigators turned back the wrapping on a kilogram brick of cocaine to reveal a mushy, smelly centre that looked like cottage cheese. The odd appearance of the drug apparently was the result of an attempt to dissolve it under running water as officers forced their way into the house Friday.

Police also displayed a gram of crack cocaine seized in the raid and Ziplock bags of cash, including $30,000 in $20 bills, bundled into thick packets of $5,000 each.

A kilogram of cocaine is a significant amount in the Saskatoon market and could reach as many as 2,000 people on the street, Bent said.

My LTE:

The Star Phoenix story, "COMBINED SPECIAL POLICE UNIT PAYS DIVIDENDS WITH BIG BUST", provides us with insight into the cost of a drug bust, but the reporter never adds them up. Many of your readers might be interested to know exactly what they are getting for their money.

How much did it cost to secure this one kilo of cocaine?

30 police officers worked overtime on this drug bust for 4 months, the article says. That is the equivalent of 10 full time police officers for one year. If the average salary of a police officer is $65000.00 annually, the cost would be $650000.00. Of course, they worked overtime, too. There are also benefits to be paid, equipment to be purchased, support staff to run the offices, facility costs and vehicles to consider. I wonder if they used the plane?

I would say that taxpayers spent more than a million dollars on this arrest. And, that isn't the end of it. We are going to spend more on the trials and possible detention of these individuals. That is quite a bit of tax money being spent.

As a result of this exercise, are any of the 2000 customers going to go without cocaine? No. Probably not.

It is time to stop our 'spend more, do nothing' approach and control the access to these drugs through regulation in a controllable marketplace.

Moe Brondum
North Battleford, Saskatchewan

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Information about COCAINE AND CRACK at erowid.org.