Pubdate: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 Source: Surrey Now (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company Contact: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) CURE DRUG PROBLEM, CURE CRIME PROBLEM It's been just over two years since the Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver opened its doors, and by all accounts, it's been a success, both at rehabilitating addicts and reducing that city's crime rate. Surrey council has begun entertaining the idea of establishing a similar court here to deal with the city's burgeoning problems with drugs and drug-related crime. A forum on auto crime last week was told that most of the stolen car epidemic revolves around drug activity and other crime. That same day, the city reeled from news that a driver with a stolen vehicle crashed into another car and put a family in hospital. While it remains to be seen if a drug court would have been applicable in this case, it certainly is in many other cases currently before the courts. To participate in a drug court, an accused must plead guilty and agree to undergo treatment and services necessary to kick their habit and change their lifestyle. A Surrey drug court would also have to accommodate youth - something not done in the Vancouver court. This city's Drug-Crime Task Force has focused in large part on prevention. Prevention is great - and necessary, and so is rehabilitation. It's the only way to reduce the crime associated with drug addiction and to reduce the horrific costs to the victims of that crime, be it property or personal damage. If a drug court gets drug addicts off their poisons and away from their lives of crime, let's get on with establishing one here and processing people through the system. If cost is the only prohibitive factor, think of what not being proactive costs. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh