Pubdate: Mon, 02 May 2005 Source: Surrey Now (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company Contact: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462 Author: Tom Zytaruk WHALLEY 'DIFFERENT' AFTER CRACKDOWN Surrey RCMP are seeing a silver lining on the dark cloud that's been hanging over Whalley for years untold. Supt. Fraser MacRae, assistant officer in charge of Canada's largest detachment, this week sang the praises of the Whalley Initiative - a two-phase crackdown on street crime that began in February and is continuing today. Phase One - which got underway in mid-february and ran for five weeks - - saw 50 plainclothes police target the Whalley core, on top of the 24 full-time cops already assigned to the district. "This is more than just a crackdown," MacRae said, noting the unprecedented resources. The net result was 78 prostitution-related arrests, with 50 women and 20 johns being charged. Nine search warrants executed on suspected crack shacks resulted in 20 arrests and 34 charges. All told, the first phase of the project saw about 140 people charged with 170 criminal offenses. Phase Two, which got underway April 11, has police showing their flag, so to speak, with more uniformed police on the street. Though Whalley has more crime than other Surrey communities, police, with the help of volunteers, city bylaws offices and the Whalley Business Association, have enjoyed success in the area. According to Surrey RCMP stats, in 2004, robberies went down 14 per cent in Whalley and fell six-per cent citywide. Assaults were up by three per cent while the city on a whole experienced a 12 per cent increase. There were also 10 per cent less residential break-ins citywide, and six per cent less in Whalley. "Assaults is the only category we went up last year," MacRae noted. MacRae looks forward to measuring the success of Phase Two. "I'm not naive, and I'm not saying for a second and no one should ever think that this alone is going to change the environment up there completely," he said. "Different areas always gain their own kind of reputation. The reputation and perceptions about Whalley have developed over many a decade, so you don't change those things overnight_. It's a different place up there than it was a year, two years, maybe three years ago. We're excited about that." The relocation of the RCMP's E-Division headquarters in Surrey by 2009 should also have a "huge" impact on crime in North Surrey, MacRae noted. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin