Pubdate: Tue, 07 Dec 1999 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: The Vancouver Sun 1999 Section: News A1 / Front Contact: 200 Granville Street, Ste.#1, Vancouver BC V6C 3N3 Fax: (604) 605-2323 Website: http://www.vancouversun.com/ MAYORS VOW TO FIGHT CRIME, DRUG DEALING: Newly Elected Lower Mainland Mayors Pledge Change As They Are Sworn In For New Terms. Mayors in the Lower Mainland's largest cities attacked the twin plagues of crime and drugs in inaugural speeches Monday aimed at offering hope to those who feel threatened in their own neighbourhoods. ``I believe drug users are sick and pushers are evil,'' Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen said bluntly. ``Anyone who trafficks in human misery by selling illegal narcotics should be dealt with harshly. ``The trafficking and consumption of illegal drugs on our streets and in our parks is totally unacceptable to the citizens of Vancouver.'' Richmond Mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt announced a city task force on drugs and crime will be established early in the new year. ``Safety from crime is the most important factor for Richmond residents in determining their own quality of life,'' Halsey-Brandt said. ``Studies have shown that the number one community safety concern expressed is violence and fear of violence. Property crime, such as home break-ins and auto theft, is also of great concern to our residents, and often connected to drug-related offences.'' Mayors and councillors elected in Nov. 20 civic elections were sworn into office in most B.C. municipalities on Monday. By tradition, the inaugural meeting is a chance for mayors to articulate a vision for the upcoming three-year term, and recount previous accomplishments, amid the pomp and celebration of a crowded council chambers. Several mayors cited the advent of the new millennium in their speeches, but the major emphasis for most councils was on crime. The crime rate in B.C. declined four per cent from 1997 to 1998, according to statistics compiled by the provincial government. Violent offences such as sexual and other assaults were down. But the number of drug offences increased three per cent over the same period. And a high-profile string of home-invasion robberies in Vancouver and the suburbs has exacerbated the public's perception of rampant crime. Frustrated at the inability of the RCMP to supply enough recruits to fill vacant positions in the detachment, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum repeated his proposal that a city police force may be the only way to effectively combat crime. ``Ultimately council must review other options if we are to ensure the safety and welfare of our citizens. This council will not shy away from examining alternatives such as our own city police force.'' Burnaby Mayor Doug Drummond described drug-trafficking and the criminal exploitation of children as ``key public safety issues.'' ``Burnaby is facing some major community health and safety issues related to drug-trafficking and exploitation of our youth. The protection of our families, our communities, and our neighbourhoods is a top priority for the city and this council.'' The region's big-city mayors hastened to add that both the provincial and federal government have major roles in this anti-crime crusade. ``We will require the assistance and cooperation of other levels of government,'' Drummond said. Delta's new mayor, Lois Jackson, eschewed tradition and chose not to deliver an inaugural address. It is a symbolic gesture by Jackson, a long-time Delta councillor, who said she is postponing her speech until January because she wants to hear about the priorities of the rest of council. Three of seven council members are from rival political slates. Meanwhile, mayors in three Lower Mainland municipalities -- all marred over the past three years by a lack of council decorum -- promised a new era of stability. In Langley Township -- where voters fed up with council dysfunction ousted John Scholtens in favour of low-profile independent candidate Kurt Alberts - -- the new mayor dedicated most of his inaugural address to the theme of council cooperation. Alberts, the township's former director of planning, coined the phrase ``Service delivery without politics,'' which he hopes will come to represent how this council does business. ``Council's responsibility is to deliver services in accordance with the needs of the community,'' he explained. ``I think, as a council and a community, we can do a much better job of delivering the service without the politics.'' West Vancouver Mayor Ron Wood said he looked forward to working with ``a functional, decisive council.'' Wood defeated Pat Boname, who struggled to get council to work together. In White Rock, re-elected Mayor Hardy Staub pledged to work towards a climate that ``builds trust between this council, staff of the city and the public.'' In Coquitlam, Mayor Jon Kingsbury flexed his new-found political control on council by unveiling tentative plans Monday for a hefty tax increase to begin to finance much-needed road improvements and replenish depleted cash reserves. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk