FIRST NATIONS: Lheidli T’enneh open new office in city A5 Wednesday, December 12, 2012 Business groups looking to grow the economic pie A7
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Maclean’s rankings disputed DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com
43-year-old Beaverly man, is facing at least one firearms-related charge. Cpl. Craig Douglass, media liaison with the RCMP, said this, like all drug seizures, is likely related to organized crime. “All drugs are either directly or indirectly related to organized crime groups. In this case the sheer volume of marijuana, hash and mushrooms clearly couldn’t have been done by these two people alone. It takes a group effort,” Douglass said. “There is definitely an element of organized crime, whether its a known or a named group, or just a group of people who got together to grow and distribute this marijuana, that’s an organized crime group as well.” He added the investigation is just in
Overall, according to data collected by Statistics, Canada Prince George ranked 14th in the country in 2011 when it comes to criminal activity, an improvement over the previous year when it came in 11th. Nevertheless, running this data through its formula, Maclean’s magazine chose Prince George as Canada’s most dangerous city for the third year running. “Maclean’s uses an added filter,” Mayor Shari Green said in a press conference, hosted in reaction to the announcement, Thursday. “Based on that Prince George has been named Most Dangerous City for the third year in a row. The strong message is of course if you are involved in gangs or drugs in this community or in any community in the country, you live a high-risk lifestyle.” However, she added, if you live on the right side of the law, crime will rarely affect you. “First and foremost, Prince George is not the most dangerous city in Canada,” RCMP Supt. Eric Stubbs added. He pointed out that while Edmonton had 50 homicides in 2011 and Toronto had 86, Prince George had none. “When Canadians think about a title like Most Dangerous City, I don’t think a community that didn’t have a homicide would make the list,” Stubbs said. He added fortunately random acts of violence within the city are relatively low. Several strategies were put in place to meet the needs of the community, including lowering the crime rate. The crime reduction initiative has so far resulted in 40 prolific offenders being locked up in the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre since April 1. The downtown enforcement unit has significantly decreased the number of crimes taking place in that area. A new domestic
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Teresa MA LLA M/Fre e Pre s s
Choir members Gisela Maikapa (left) and Pat Sexsmith get ready for the Our Best to You at Christmas concert Sunday. The Forever Young Chorus and Gospel Singers came together to entertain audiences at ECRA’s 10th Avenue seniors’ centre.
Drugs, guns, cash seized in Beaverly DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com
The report of an erratic driver Dec. 8 wound up leading police to seizing 30 pounds of marijuana, other illicit drugs, $12,000 in cash, several guns (some unsecured), and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Saturday evening police got a report of a car being forced off the road in the Beaverly area. The two general duty officers who attended the scene spoke to a 23- and an 18-year-old woman who admitted they’d dropped a male youth at a home in the area to buy marijuana. After they left, a car from that residence followed them, cut them off and forced them to stop. The women got away, but said they thought their male friend was being held against his will, so phoned
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the police. When police attended the residence, they saw the unsecured guns and illicit drugs in plain view. The property was secured and police got a search warrant, locating 14 long guns, three hand guns, a crossbow, a modified flare gun, ammunition, seven body armour vests, 25 pounds of marijuana, six pounds of hashish and close to a pound of magic mushrooms. The 30-year-old man and 22-year-old woman at the house were arrested and face drug, weapons and property-related charges. The youth was located, and police believe he was trying to break into the home, not buy marijuana. He faces at least one criminal code charge. His two chauffeurs were arrested for public mischief and allegedly providing false information to police. A sixth person, a
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