CRACK-down: Part 2 - It is a Community Problem say Police

By 250 News

This is the second segment in a series about alleged Crack shacks in Prince George 

The first segment   was "CRACK-down": Alleged Crack Shacks, Who Owns Them?" 

(photo at right courtesy www.drugalcohol-rehab.com)

Over the long weekend, Prince George RCMP  executed search warrants at two homes in the V.L.A. suspected of being crack shacks.  In the case of one home, it was the third time  in 13 days that it had been the subject of a search.  

Sergeant Tom Bethune. The NCO of the task force on drugs for the Prince George RCMP says the latest crack shack bust points to a community problem. Bethune says,The house at 2344 Quince St has seen three search warrants served on the property in the past six weeks, it also has been the scene of a shooting.  "We need help from everyone if we are going to stop this trend"says Bethune. "This is not a police problem, it is a community problem and we had better start looking after it”.

In this case, Sergeant Bethune says , the young couple who recently bought the house are okay, they are described  as a hard working young couple, expecting  a child. "So along comes another young couple , she is pregnant and he gives the landlord $1700 dollars rent up front and says we would like to move in . The couple who rented never set foot in that house and it was back to being a crack shack within a few days."  Bethune says landlords can't be so trusting "All landlords need to get a criminal record check before they rent, that only costs ten bucks, and they need to know for sure who they are renting to. They have to be more vigilant."

This is a Federal, Provincial and municipal problem, the head of the drug task force says, and it will take a community effort to  bring it to an end "We need to get the community involved for example by having the taxi driver who brings the crack head to the house observe what is going on and report to us. We need the neighbors to phone and tell us what is going on in that house. We need the tools to put a stop to this growing problem. "

While Police call for  more  effort from the  landlords, those who own the properties have complained to Opinion250 that it is daunting task to try and get people evicted from these premises. They say it can take months and cost as much as $6,000 dollars including court costs and bailiffs to have this happen. One of the tools, just  might be a  new bylaw. 

According to the Office of Housing and Construction Standards, Landlords do have some room to move:.

Residential Tenancy Act
In cases where illegal activity is suspected an owner/landlord has two options under the Residential Tenancy Act:

1) Issue a one-month note for eviction with cause.

2) Apply through the Service BC office in Prince George for an early termination of tenancy. The application is $50 and the landlord will receive the first available hearing date as early termination hearings receive first priority in scheduling.

At the hearing, the landlord must show evidence that continued tenancy is inequitable for the continued safety and lawful rights of the landlord, other tenants (if applicable) and neighbours. In this specific case, testimony from the police officers would likely be considered compelling support of the landlord’s application.

The dispute resolution officer can set the timeframe for the end of a tenancy depending on the seriousness of the issue, but as with any order issued by a dispute resolution officer, it could be subject to appeal in Supreme Court.

A landlord may wish to pursue both options simultaneously.

There is another possible option.  It comes in the form of a municipal by-law. We will also talk with the Provincial Solicitor General about  possible legislation.

Those avenues will be explored in the third and final segment of CRACK-down!  That article is scheduled to run Monday, May 28th.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us