Pubdate: Thu, 26 Jul 2001
Source: Surrey Now (CN BC)
Section: Opinion
Copyright: 2001 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company
Contact:  http://www.thenownewspaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462

MORE COPS MEAN FEWER PROBLEMS

Surrey deserves applause for adding 12 new RCMP officers and 20 auxiliaries 
to the detachment to help curb the drug dealing and prostitution that's 
tearing apart some Surrey neighbourhoods.

The same goes for federal and provincial representatives who have been 
meeting with city officials and residents to plan strategies for removing 
this blight from Surrey streets.

But everyone concerned must understand more than talk is needed now.

There are ordinary people afraid to go out at night because of the crime in 
their neighbourhoods.

Ordinary people have organized themselves to put pressure on hookers, pimps 
and druggies to make them go away.They're going out on the street 
confronting the underworld that has moved in next door and taking 
considerable risk in doing so.

They're afraid, but also determined not to surrender their homes and 
neighbourhoods to the Two Percenters - the tiny number who won't live by 
the rules of law and society.

If these ordinary people - moms, dads and grandmothers - can stand up and 
fight they've got to know their city, province and country are behind them 
all the way. Enforce the law, nail the johns and put uniforms on the 
street. If there's a cop on the corner, hookers won't stand on the street 
looking for business and it's certain the family men who buy sex from these 
women won't be coming by.

That will give residents immediate relief. At the same time, 
decision-makers need to meet and make longer-range plans to deal with the 
social issues which sit at the heart of these problems.

Perhaps Surrey council should listen to one of their own, Coun. Judy 
Villeneuve, who for years has lobbied unsuccessfully for a comprehensive 
city social policy that would provide a framework for dealing with the 
dilemmas of big city life.
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MAP posted-by: Beth