Safe and Secure In Abbotsford
As Jodi Rell, recent Governor of Connecticut, once said, “At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security.”
At the recent Mayoralty all candidates meeting, comments were made by several candidates that there would be reductions in the police budgets stemming from reducing paperwork. While this sounds good on the surface, the reality is quite different. Having served on the police board from 1993 – 1998, I know that if any meaningful cuts are to made, it means reducing the police force. Policing is one of the most basic of services that any City must provide a level of protection and law enforcement that keeps our citizens safe.
During my tenure, police efficiency was something we discussed often. For the most part, the “paperwork” isn’t paper at all, rather it is PRIME – a computer records management in which officers log in to file reports electronically. PRIME is not optional “paperwork”. It is legislated for police throughout British Columbia. Nonetheless, it apparently works very well, even if the data input can be a painful process.
Unfortunately, the evolution of law has required ever increasing reporting requirements. This is very frustrating for the men and women charged with keeping our community safe, but it cannot be avoided if the legal system is to result in convictions rather than dismissal of charges on technical grounds. If we want our laws changed, then we need to express our views to our Federal and Provincial governments, asking that some common sense be applied in this area. The hockey riots in Vancouver and the length of time it is taking to lay charges is not the fault of the Police, but rather the Rules of Disclosure, which in my view, are out of control. Rather than convicting criminals, these rules have handcuffed our police and crown prosecutors. Under the Rules of Disclosure, every scrap of evidence must be looked at by the police before a charge can be laid. To do otherwise could result in the case being thrown out in Court.
In my view, there are primarily two groups of criminals in Abbotsford. The first group is comprised of gangs that deal in drugs, guns and other organized crime. The second group is made up of unorganized individuals who are responsible for most of the property and violent crimes in order to feed a drug habit. The only way these addicted and desperate people know how to get the money to feed their habit is to steal something from others.
Our Police Chief, Bob Rich, is a proponent of dealing with policing issues by being proactive rather than reactive, especially as it relates to Gangs. The work that Sergeant Mike Novakoski is doing in our schools to combat gang recruitment with Project Vector is nothing short of spectacular.
Despite improving crime statistics, we need to do more. We need to get to our kids earlier – as early as Grade 1, 2 and 3. Talk to any elementary teacher and they will tell you that they can pick out the kids that are in trouble as early as Grade 1. These kids need help. And maybe with early addiction identification or a propensity to petty crime we can keep them from falling into criminal behavior. Waiting until they are in Grade 8 and 9 is too late. Increasing the priority on school intervention is an idea worth pursuing now while we have the chance.
All of us need to get involved. Big Brothers, Big Sisters, our communities of faith and other indirect crime prevention groups are all looking for volunteers. We, as a community, need to take every step possible to come alongside these kids before they get recruited by the gangs. We, as community, need to intervene wherever possible to encourage and support agencies that provide recovery, employment and support services. It is often the case that when government takes over, programs lose their heart. It is the people who are passionate about helping those on the shadowy fringes of our society that will make a difference.
Crime prevention begins with the basic premise: teaching, ensuring, and enforcing the principle that “crime does not pay”. Working together, we must make a difference in the lives of our kids who are at risk, and we must do so before police enforcement is involved. Until we are able to defeat crime before it starts, cutting our police forces is not viable if we prize safety and security.