Pubdate: Wed, 05 Apr 2006 Source: Penticton Western (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Penticton Western Contact: http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310 Author: Wolf Depner Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) COUNCIL PASSES BYLAW TO CURB POT PRODUCTION A bylaw designed to curb the production of illegal drugs received some criticism, but passed with unanimous support from council Monday. Penticton property owner Dianne McEvoy said the Controlled Substance Property Remediation bylaw still punishes landlords for the criminal actions of their tenants. "The person who is doing the illegal activity should be held responsible first and foremost," she said. McEvoy, who opposed an earlier version of the same bylaw in the fall of 2004, predicted that the bylaw will not make a "horrendous" difference in combating the local drug trade and production because the city lacks the means to enforce it. McEvoy instead called for more police officers on the streets, tougher sentences for those convicted of drug-related crimes and more police initiative in responding to calls from the public. But McEvoy, who entered a heated debate with Mayor Jake Kimberley about the bylaw, did not win any converts. Kimberley said the bylaw is asking landlords to show some "due diligence" in making sure that their properties are not used for the production of illegal substances. "We must put some onus on property owners," said Kimberley. Coun. Rory McIvor, a member of the previous council which first introduced the bylaw, also challenged McEvoy's claim that the new bylaw violates several existing laws. The bylaw conforms to all existing federal and provincial laws, he said. "You may have a concern, but I would respectfully suggest that it is misplaced," said McIvor. The bylaw establishes a "road map" by which negligent landlords can be punished for tolerating drug productions on their properties, said McIvor. It does not target a wide spectrum of landlords and gives RCMP an additional tool in their "arsenal" to fight the local drug scene. Others agreed. "We are kind of slow here," said Coun. Garry Litke. The bylaw should have been in place one or two years ago, he said, adding that other communities have had good experiences with similar bylaws. He also disagreed with some of the predictions McEvoy made. "Some of the concerns you have raised will not take place because they have not taken place in other communities that have such bylaws." McEvoy raised her concerns after a presentation from Insp. Dan Fudge, who favoured the bylaw because it will send a message that Penticton does not tolerate drugs. It also sends a message to landlords, he said. They have an obligation to look after their properties, said Fudge. "It is very important that we pass this bylaw and it will have a positive impact on our overall drug strategy," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom