No one can plead ignorance to the devastating impact that illicit drugs have on our community.
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Lives are quite literally ruined and often lost.
That especially has been the experience with the emergence in recent years of crystal methamphetamine, far more commonly known as "ice".
The highly addictive nature of this drug means that those who quickly fall under its spell will go to extreme lengths to feed this addiction.
Criminal offending is not confined to dealing or supplying the drug.
There is also the offending that takes place in order for the user to find the exorbitant amounts of money they need to get their next hit.
And so begins the cycle of break-ins, of selling stolen gear, of any number of related crimes simply in order to keep using the drug.
Our courts also often bear witness to terrible stories of violence, so often domestic incidents, or other crimes where the perpetrator is someone loaded-up on drugs.
A startling recent example was a court case where the defendant, who was high after smoking "an ounce" of ice, used his car to batter his way out of a motel car park, leaving a police vehicle and another car with thousands of dollars' damage.
The day-to-day reality that our community faces is one of great harm and dislocation, which needs to be tackled head-on before the incredible complexity involved in decriminalising illicit substances can even begin to be weighed-up.
Put simply, drugs impact on a lot of the crime police have to deal with, so any help the community can provide is extremely important.
We urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they think it might be, to come forward.
As the police make clear, it will make a difference.
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