The RCMP is linking a rash of property thefts in a West Sechelt neighbourhood to a “crack shack” located on Norvan Road near West Sechelt Elementary School, said Sgt. Michael Hacker at a policing committee meeting on Jan. 18. “There are a number of people that attended that particular location that were related to a number of other investigations that we’re involved in. This just happens to be one of many places they go to secure drugs,” said Hacker in a follow-up phone call.
He described it as a location where crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit drugs were distributed. On Dec. 20, police executed a search warrant at the residence. Two people were arrested for alleged drug possession and trafficking, and one was arrested for alleged drug possession. Police also seized more than an ounce of suspected crack cocaine, marijuana and opioids, as well as tablets and capsules. “We were fairly successful in terms of the quantity of drugs that we were able to get out of that,” he said.
The residence has been a problem in West Sechelt for the last three or four months, with multiple break-ins occurring in the area, including one that happened on Christmas Day, in which the suspect helped himself to frozen pizza, chocolates and wine, and left more than a dozen fingerprints. “More than likely, he was over there earlier,” Hacker said.
“In the last two months we have had a lot of property-related crime,” said Hacker, referring to thefts in Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Sechelt. “It might be showing as a small percentage increase, but that being said, that’s certainly related to the drug community here on the Sunshine Coast.”
Other drug-related crimes include the theft of a truck on Nov. 29, which itself was associated with a couple of break-ins in the Sechelt area, largely involving the theft of tools.
The RCMP has been focusing on drug-related and property-related offences, and stepping up curfew enforcement for local offenders. At the committee Hacker said it can be difficult to enforce curfews because a lot of offenders don’t have a fixed address. “They call us and tell us where they are, and they might only be there for a very short period of time… It’s not very coherent.” He said they are looking at different enforcement strategies to deal with the issue.
He also discussed the recent string of mail thefts. Hacker said these kinds of thefts are not unusual, though he said if it happens more consistently and not around Christmas, then those thefts are “generally related to people who are meth users,” who often commit hundreds of offences. RCMP are not making a specific link to mailbox theft and drug use, but noted that this year was particularly bad.
He noted harder drugs like fentanyl are an ongoing problem on the Sunshine Coast. “They’re not to the same degree as they are in other parts of the Lower Mainland; nonetheless, fentanyl continues to be a rather significant contaminate in the drug trafficking industry,” he said.
There were 14 drug-related offences on the Sunshine Coast in December 2017, compared with 12 in December 2016. There were 31 in November, and 16 in November 2016.
