Pubdate: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 Source: Grand Forks Gazette (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Sterling Newspapers Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/525 Note: The newspaper does not have an active website. TASK FORCE TO TAKE ON CRIME More than a year after the city hosted a meeting on the crime issues in Grand Forks, Coun. Gene Robert advised starting a task force at a recent meeting. One of the things that has been holding council back is the cost issues and staff time associated with enforcing municipal bylaws, he said at a March 2 meeting. Things such as noise, unsightly premises and safety violations aren't major problems. But in some cases they can be a signs that a house is being used as a "party" or "drug" house. However, Robert said we need to determine if there is a major problem or simply a perceived problem. We don't want to make it impossible for people to enjoy Grand Forks' excellent summer by cracking down on anyone who hosts a party. On the other hand, neighbours should have somewhere to call when things start getting out of hand and affecting their quality of life. As for drugs and guns, we know they're in our community. When police conduct drug raids in the area, they're also discovering weapons. So far, this hasn't affected the quality of life for the ordinary citizen, but it should be noted the Vancouver area wasn't known for its high crime rate until very recently. With the economic downturn, Grand Forks is particularly vulnerable to these types of problems. That's why Robert's task force is a good idea. He plans to bring together both RCMP and representatives from social service agencies. He also said he plans to examine youth issues and how young people have been affected by the economic downturn. Just cracking down on dealers and users isn't going to address the underlying issues that cause people to turn to drugs and crime. Today we may be asking if this is a real problem or a perceived problem. In the future we, like Vancouver, could be asking how this problem got so out of hand. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin