Nickel Tax on Alcoholic Drinks Suggested Judges continue to hand out far too lenient sentences to chronic repeat offenders, a regional forum on crime and drugs heard recently. While reforms are under way - largely led by civic governments and police forces - the justice system's flaccid response to drug-fuelled crime remains a major weak link in solving the problem, said several experts gathered by Metro Vancouver. Daryl Plecas, a criminologist at the University College of the Fraser Valley, said major gains would be made if even just the "super prolific" offenders with more than 30 prior convictions got longer jail terms. [continues 650 words]
Cities are winning the war against crime on some fronts, but face setbacks on others, according to panelists at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention this past week. Marijuana growers seem to be in rapid retreat, especially in Surrey, where civic officials are poised to declare victory over local grow-ops. The most powerful weapon hasn't been increased conventional policing, but rather the threat of electrical inspections and service disconnections for residential homes that B.C. Hydro records show have extreme power consumption, a tell-tale sign of a grow-op. [continues 354 words]
Surrey Cities Warned Of Privacy Challenges Local cities are winning the war against crime on some fronts, but face setbacks on others, according to panelists at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention Tuesday. Marijuana growers seem to be in rapid retreat, especially in Surrey, where civic officials are poised to declare victory over local grow-ops. The most powerful weapon hasn't been increased conventional policing, but rather the threat of electrical inspections and service disconnections for residential homes that B.C. Hydro records show have extreme power consumption, a tell-tale sign of a grow-op. [continues 340 words]
Nickel Tax On Alcoholic Drinks Suggested Judges continue to hand out far too lenient sentences to chronic repeat offenders, a regional forum on crime and drugs heard Wednesday. While reforms are under way - largely led by civic governments and police forces - the justice system's flaccid response to drug-fuelled crime remains a major weak link in solving the problem, said several experts gathered by Metro Vancouver. Daryl Plecas, a criminologist at the University College of the Fraser Valley, said major gains would be made if even just the "super prolific" offenders with more than 30 prior convictions got longer jail terms. [continues 529 words]
Judges continue to hand out far too lenient sentences to chronic repeat offenders, a regional forum on crime and drugs heard Wednesday. While reforms are under way - largely led by civic governments and police forces - the justice system's flaccid response to drug-fuelled crime remains a major weak link in solving the problem, said several experts gathered by Metro Vancouver. Daryl Plecas, a criminologist at the University College of the Fraser Valley, said major gains would be made if even just the "super prolific" offenders with more than 30 prior convictions got longer jail terms. [continues 537 words]
Targeting the worst repeat offenders should go far in cutting crime rates, says a leading criminologist. University College of the Fraser Valley professor Darryl Plecas says the latest data from an ongoing nine-month-old study of prolific offenders supports the reform approach now being tested by police at various sites around B.C. He says about two-thirds of prolific criminals being tracked under the study go on to reoffend within six months, versus about a six per cent repeat rate for first-time offenders. [continues 432 words]
TransLink's Transit Police will soon be armed with Tasers as well as handguns. A big budget surplus last fall allowed the service to step up its plans to buy the electrical-charge weapons, considered a less lethal alternative to firearms. "We have purchased 20 Tasers and we will be deploying them on the line when our people are trained," Insp. Daniel Dureau said. He estimated it could be a couple of months before the devices are in use. Some Transit Police constables will train as instructors and then be able to train the rest of the 100-officer force. [continues 508 words]
TransLink's Transit Police will soon be armed with Tasers as well as handguns. A big budget surplus last fall allowed the service to step up its plans to buy the electrical-charge weapons, considered a less lethal alternative to firearms. "We have purchased 20 Tasers and we will be deploying them on the line when our people are trained," Insp. Daniel Dureau said. He estimated it could be a couple of months before the devices are in use. Some Transit Police constables will train as instructors and then be able to train the rest of the 100-officer force. [continues 408 words]
Transit Police Mark First Full Year In Service TransLink's Transit Police will soon be armed with Tasers as well as handguns. A big budget surplus last fall allowed the service to step up its plans to buy the electrical-charge weapons, considered a less lethal alternative to firearms. "We have purchased 20 Tasers and we will be deploying them on the line when our people are trained," Insp. Daniel Dureau said. He estimated it could be a couple of months before the devices are in use. [continues 528 words]
Momentum is building behind the idea of creating a dedicated community run for and by recovering drug addicts that would be located outside Greater Vancouver. And the Greater Vancouver Regional District board suggests the addict enclave might be located on the Ashcroft Ranch land it already owns that may also be home to a new regional landfill. The concept is to try a new avenue of fighting addiction by following the model of San Patrignano, Italy. That intentional therapeutic community - formed from donated land and financed through the sale of goods inmates make, private donations and public grants - is credited with achieving a 70 per cent success rate in healing drug addicts and returning them to productive society. [continues 552 words]
Momentum is building behind the idea of creating a dedicated community run for and by recovering drug addicts that would be located outside the Lower Mainland. And the Greater Vancouver Regional District board suggests the addict enclave might be located on the Ashcroft Ranch land it already owns that may also be home to a new regional landfill. The concept is to try a new avenue of fighting addiction by following the model of San Patrignano, Italy (www.sanpatrignano.org). That intentional therapeutic community -- formed from donated land and financed through the sale of goods inmates make, private donations and public grants -- is credited with achieving a 70% success rate in healing drug addicts and returning them to productive society. [continues 551 words]
Momentum is building behind the idea of creating a dedicated community run for and by recovering drug addicts that would be located outside Greater Vancouver. And the Greater Vancouver Regional District board suggests the addict enclave might be located on the Ashcroft Ranch land it already owns that may also be home to a new regional landfill. The concept is to try a new avenue of fighting addiction by following the model of San Patrignano, Italy. That intentional therapeutic community - formed from donated land and financed through the sale of goods inmates make, private donations and public grants - is credited with achieving a 70 per cent success rate in healing drug addicts and returning them to productive society. [continues 605 words]
Survey Showing Wide Use Alarms Doc A new poll showing 53 per cent of B.C. residents have used marijuana at least once is disturbing, says a South Surrey psychiatrist. "People should be aware this isn't a benign substance," said Dr. Bill MacEwan, who addressed a Fraser Health Authority board meeting Wednesday. He said clinical evidence from here and around the world increasingly links pot smoking - especially heavy use at an early age - with psychosis. "It's a real concern to us that we're seeing these rates of substance abuse," he said, responding to the poll released last month by B.C.'s Centre for Addictions Research. [continues 479 words]
A new poll showing 53% of B.C. residents have used marijuana at least once is disturbing, says a Surrey psychiatrist. "People should be aware this isn't a benign substance," said Dr. Bill MacEwan, who addressed a Fraser Health Authority board meeting last Wednesday. He said clinical evidence from here and around the world increasingly links pot smoking - especially heavy use at an early age - with psychosis. "It's a real concern to us that we're seeing these rates of substance abuse," he said, responding to the poll released last month by B.C.'s Centre for Addictions Research. [continues 475 words]
The province is under pressure to let cities try innovative policing tactics like video surveillance cameras, mandatory drug testing and to spend much more money to combat underlying social causes of crime. Surrey council is at the vanguard of the movement and its mayor, Dianne Watts, who led a delegation to Britain this past summer to find out how a 35-plus per cent crime drop was achieved there, pushed the premier Thursday to embrace similar reforms. "This is the way we have to go," Watts said. "We've seen over the past 10 years the things that we're doing just simply aren't working so we've got to make that paradigm shift." [continues 574 words]
Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment, but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 395 words]
Survey Showing Wide Use Alarms Doc A new poll showing 53 per cent of B.C. residents have used marijuana at least once is disturbing, says a South Surrey psychiatrist. "People should be aware this isn't a benign substance," said Dr. Bill MacEwan, who addressed a Fraser Health Authority board meeting Wednesday. He said clinical evidence from here and around the world increasingly links pot smoking - especially heavy use at an early age - with psychosis. "It's a real concern to us that we're seeing these rates of substance abuse," he said, responding to the poll released last month by B.C.'s Centre for Addictions Research. [continues 395 words]
Marijuana Use Is Linked to Psychosis A new poll showing 53 per cent of B.C. residents have used marijuana at least once is disturbing, says a B.C. psychiatrist. "People should be aware this isn't a benign substance," said Dr. Bill MacEwan, who addressed a Fraser Health Authority board meeting Wednesday. He said clinical evidence from here and around the world increasingly links pot smoking--especially heavy use at an early age--with psychosis. "It's a real concern to us that we're seeing these rates of substance abuse," he said, responding to the poll released last month by B.C.'s Centre for Addictions Research. [continues 345 words]
Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard last Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 371 words]
VICTORIA -- Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment, but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 334 words]
A new poll showing 53 per cent of B.C. residents have used marijuana at least once is disturbing, says a South Surrey psychiatrist. "People should be aware this isn't a benign substance," said Dr. Bill MacEwan, who addressed a Fraser Health Authority board meeting Wednesday. He said clinical evidence from here and around the world increasingly links pot smoking - especially heavy use at an early age - with psychosis. "It's a real concern to us that we're seeing these rates of substance abuse," he said, responding to the poll released last month by B.C.'s Centre for Addictions Research. [continues 478 words]
Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard this week. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace City Hall and the RCMP detachment but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 396 words]
The province is under pressure to let cities try innovative policing tactics like video surveillance cameras, mandatory drug testing and to spend much more money to combat underlying social causes of crime. Surrey council is at the vanguard of the movement and Mayor Dianne Watts, who led a delegation to Britain this summer to find out how a 35-plus per cent crime drop was achieved there, pushed the premier Thursday to embrace similar reforms. "This is the way we have to go," Watts said. "We've seen over the past 10 years the things that we're doing just simply aren't working so we've got to make that paradigm shift." [continues 572 words]
Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 332 words]
VICTORIA -- Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace City Hll and the RCMP detachment, but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. [continues 384 words]
Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. McDaniel also pressed for even earlier efforts to bring anti-drug messaging to elementary school children. [continues 378 words]
VICTORIA - Tougher sentencing of crystal meth lab operators and more intrusive measures to catch them when they buy precursor chemicals are urgently needed, delegates to the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention heard Wednesday. Terrace Coun. Rich McDaniel said a meth lab was busted within 300 metres of both Terrace city hall and the RCMP detachment but its operators were sentenced this month to probation only. "They didn't even get a damn fine," he told a crystal meth strategies forum. "There's no deterrent." [continues 395 words]
Ecstasy smuggling across the B.C. border has exploded, according to a cross-border team of law enforcers. "Blaine is a hotspot for ecstasy smuggling," said Roy Hoffman, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement assistant special agent in charge. "We're seeing a huge amount of ecstasy heading for points in the U.S." He was among the officers who briefed the Cascadia Mayors Council meeting in Surrey on the work of the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), which pools policing efforts from both sides of the border to bust smugglers. [continues 308 words]
Police Say More Research Must Be Done Before Facility Approved The RCMP is distancing itself from supervised drug injection sites and the academics it commissioned to review their value. The force said it opposes expanding the existing Insite injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside until more research is done. The statement came in response to media reports on reviews by two researchers the RCMP hired to study the local site and the international experience with similar sites. "The reviews reflect the opinions of the authors and not of the RCMP," the statement said. [continues 200 words]
The RCMP is distancing itself from supervised drug injection sites and the academics it commissioned to review their value. The force said it opposes expanding the existing Insite injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside until more research is done. The statement came in response to media reports on reviews by two researchers the RCMP hired to study the local site and the international experience with similar sites. "The reviews reflect the opinions of the authors and not of the RCMP," the statement said. [continues 200 words]
The RCMP are distancing themselves from supervised drug injection sites and the academics they commissioned to review the value of such operations. The force said it opposes expanding the existing Insite injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside until more research is done. The statement came in response to media reports on reviews by two researchers the RCMP hired to study the local site and the international experience with similar sites. "The reviews reflect the opinions of the authors and not of the RCMP," the statement said. [continues 200 words]
The RCMP is distancing itself from supervised drug injection sites and the academics it commissioned to review their value. The force said it opposes expanding the existing Insite injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside until more research is done. The statement came in response to media reports on reviews by two researchers the RCMP hired to study the local site and the international experience with similar sites. "The reviews reflect the opinions of the authors and not of the RCMP," the statement said. [continues 160 words]
UCFV Researchers Said Expanding Sites Makes Sense The RCMP is distancing itself from supervised drug injection sites and the academics it commissioned to review their value. The force said it opposes expanding the existing Insite injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside until more research is done. The statement came in response to media reports on reviews by two researchers the RCMP hired to study the local site and the international experience with similar sites. "The reviews reflect the opinions of the authors and not of the RCMP," the statement said. [continues 200 words]
Vancouver's supervised drug injection site should continue, and more should be set up in the downtown area and in the Fraser Health region. That's the recommendation of a University College of the Fraser Valley criminologist who was one of two researchers hired by the RCMP to study the issue. "If we have one site in one location that doesn't allow for a majority of people to access it, then we're missing a huge population who might benefit," said Dr. Irwin Cohen. [continues 508 words]
A review of unlicenced drug and alcohol recovery homes now underway is more evidence the province botched their deregulation in 2002, the NDP charge. Health critic Adrian Dix said the move to eliminate red tape has led to many addicts being treated in "terrible" conditions. "The declining state of British Columbia's alcohol and drug recovery system is a damning indictment of the B.C. Liberal record," he said. The policy review, which may lead to tightened regulations on opening and running recovery homes, is expected to be complete by December. Poor conditions have led some municipalities to crack down on homes using zoning bylaws. "Part of the answer is to bring back the safeguards and controls for patients that Mr. Campbell eliminated four years ago," Dix said. [end]
Vancouver's supervised drug injection site should continue, and more such facilities should be set up in the downtown area and in the Fraser Health region. That's the recommendation of a University College of the Fraser Valley criminologist who was one of two researchers hired by the RCMP to study the issue. "If we have one site in one location, that doesn't allow for a majority of people to access it, then we're missing a huge population who might benefit," said Dr. Irwin Cohen. [continues 509 words]
A provincial review now under way could lead to new regulations requiring drug and alcohol recovery homes to meet minimum standards, health ministry officials say. The issue is coming to a head this month as the City of Surrey moves to shut down recovery homes that aren't properly licensed or zoned amid allegations of poor and crowded conditions. Health ministry spokesperson Sarah Plank said the province is looking at setting up a registration system similar to what's in place for assisted living facilities. [continues 197 words]
Researcher Weighs Benefits As Advocates Say Site Saves Lives Vancouver's supervised drug injection site should continue, and more should be set up. That's the recommendation of a University College of the Fraser Valley criminologist who was one of two researchers hired by the RCMP to study the issue. "If we have one site in one location that doesn't allow for a majority of people to access it, then we're missing a huge population who might benefit," said Dr. Irwin Cohen. [continues 508 words]
Vancouver's supervised drug injection site should continue, and more should be set up in the downtown area and in the Fraser Health region. That's the recommendation of a University College of the Fraser Valley criminologist who was one of two researchers hired by the RCMP to study the issue. "If we have one site in one location that doesn't allow for a majority of people to access it, then we're missing a huge population who might benefit," said Dr. Irwin Cohen. [continues 562 words]
Surrey-Whalley A Logical Start: Study Co-Author Vancouver's supervised drug injection site should continue, and more should be set up in the downtown area and in the Fraser Health region. That's the recommendation of a University College of the Fraser Valley criminologist who was one of two researchers hired by the RCMP to study the issue. "If we have one site in one location that doesn't allow for a majority of people to access it, then we're missing a huge population who might benefit," said Dr. Irwin Cohen. [continues 516 words]
Tackling the Greater Vancouver drug problem requires a regional approach, a GVRD-led forum on drugs and crime heard Monday. Tom Hetherington, addiction services manager for the Pacific Community Resources Society, was among the presenters who says local plans are often unco-ordinated. "Problematic substance use crosses municipal boundaries -- all people are impacted by it," he said in an interview. "If one was to put a lot of pressure on the Downtown Eastside, those people will move somewhere --- they may move to New Westminster or Burnaby or Surrey." [continues 336 words]
Ecstasy smuggling across the B.C. border has exploded, according to a cross-border team of law enforcers. "Blaine is a hotspot for ecstasy smuggling," said Roy Hoffman, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement assistant special agent in charge. "We're seeing a huge amount of ecstasy heading for points in the U.S." He was among the officers who briefed the Cascadia Mayors Council meeting earlier this summer in Surrey on the work of the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), which pools policing efforts from both sides of the border to bust smugglers. [continues 283 words]
The region's new Transit Police arrested nearly 350 wanted suspects on outstanding warrants - some for murder - in the first six months of the year. Mid-year statistics were released last week by the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service. Warrant arrests are one of the officers' new roles since the service was revamped last December and issued guns and expanded arrest powers. The majority of the 25,100 offences recorded by the service in the first half of the year were for tickets issued to SkyTrain passengers who rode without paying the fare, or for liquor violations. [continues 140 words]
U.S. officials say they're irritated by the slow speed of Canada's response to extradition requests. And they say a prime example is the case of Vancouver marijuana seed king Marc Emery, who faces a request for extradition to the U.S. to face charges of marijuana distribution and money laundering. "This 'Prince of Pot' -- Emery -- he still hasn't had his first extradition hearing," said Jeff Sullivan, criminal prosecution chief for the U.S. Attorney office in western Washington State. [continues 192 words]
