Drug turf war escalating in Dawson Creek

The streets of Dawson Creek have become a battleground in a growing drug turf war, and now police are asking the public for assistance to try and stop it before innocent bystanders are killed.

A drive by shooting targeting a house where police suspect there is drug activity is the latest incident. Last month a man was kidnapped at gun point from a pub, beaten, bear sprayed, and stabbed before escaping his abductors by jumping out a window.

Police says the victims in both cases are not cooperating. 

"As far as we can tell there seems to be an influx of factions from the lower mainland and Alberta looking to gain control of the lucrative drug trade in the Peace region," said RCMP Sgt. Ed Reinink.

Reinink describes Dawson Creek as a sleepy hollow for policing until about a year ago. Now he says the slump in the oil patch is driving the crime wave.

"When the economy is good the crime rate goes down, but we've seen a fairly significant downturn in the economy in this area in the last year and a half and that's contributed to the upswing in crime."

Reinink thinks there's as a many as six different gangs vying for the drug trade in Dawson Creek and the surrounding areas.

He says people in a small town like Dawson Creek may be afraid to come forward fearing they may become a target themselves, but without information from the public, the danger will continue.

"When you have these individuals who have absolutely no consideration for the people around them, firing guns in town at houses, you don't know where those rounds are going to end up," Reinink said.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled Drug turf war escalating in Dawson Creek on CBC's Daybreak North.