MAKING PROGRESS ON CRIME

Finding out who the bad guys are, where they live and what they're up
to just makes sense if you're in the crime-fighting business.

It's an approach that seems to be working after reviewing the
statistics of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows RCMP crime-reduction unit.

The Maple Ridge detachment is one of six B.C. municipalities selected
for the test program by RCMP headquarters.

According to the Pacific region command, property crime has dropped by
25 per cent since 2004, thanks to the new approach.

The model, borrowed from the U.K., involves police in closely
monitoring complaints and incidents, keeping track of who's in jail
and who's getting out, and developing contacts and sources on the street.

Maple Ridge formed its crime reduction unit late in 2006, when it
combined its community policing, drug and property crime section.

All of that on-the-ground information is combined with sophisticated
software to plot the latest trends and hot spots.

It may sound innovative, but it's actually an old approach, a return
to the days before there were air-conditioned patrol cars and
computers that isolated constables.

"It's a bit of an echo of the past. I wouldn't say there's anything
new about it," said Staff Sgt. Alex Bodden, in charge of the 18-person
unit.

Each day, team members meet to discuss the latest problems, where
they're taking place and, if need be, get updated by crime analyst
Annette Wilson.

Then they'll either put a high-visibility patrol in the area, use
undercover surveillance or make the rounds, letting suspects know
they're being watched.

If police think they know who's behind a mini-crime wave, they'll drop
by for a chat, mentioning that while they may not have enough to make
an arrest today, there's always later. The discussion usually involves
police making the point: "There's only one option here, stop doing the
crime."

Enforcing bail or release conditions is a good way for police to get
criminals off the streets. Breaking those conditions can mean a quick
trip back to jail for an offender and can save police trying to prove
a new charge.

The number of cases of commercial break-ins, miscellaneous break-ins
and thefts from autos all jumped from 2007 compared to the year prior.
Theft from vehicles climbed nine per cent, largely because of the same
group, Bodden said.

The overall, 25-per-cent drop in regional property crimes is mirrored
in the Maple Ridge, he added.

But mini crime waves created by a few individuals can wreak havoc with
local statistics.

Commercial break-ins, for instance, are up 11 per cent when 2007
statistics are compared to 2006.

Miscellaneous break-ins, such as to construction sites, of which there
are many in Maple Ridge, are up 55 per cent, from 106 cases in 2006 to
238 last year. Theft from auto cases climbed nine per cent.

Those numbers reflects a crime spree in the last three months of 2007
caused by two or three people, Bodden said.

"The last quarter just killed us with these guys. All the good work
just evaporated.

"If you get the right guy off the street, you cut your crime by 20 per
cent."

Other types of crimes the unit deals with show, however, that crime
actually is being reduced.

Residential break-ins, for instance, dropped by 22 per cent in the
same period.

Incidents of possession of stolen property dropped by 43 per cent.
There was little change in auto theft numbers, while the numbers for
overall thefts dropped five per cent.

Drug offences also dropped - with the number of possession of heroin
cases declining by 64 per cent. Marijuana cases also dropped by 15 per
cent.

But the number of possession of cocaine charges climbed by eight per
cent - to 60 cases. That's not a lot for an entire year, said Bodden,
who noted cocaine has become the drug of choice, possibly because it's
easier to bring that in from the U.S. than heroin from Asia.

The number of possession of crystal meth files also climbed, from 20
to 40.

Overall, that isn't a large number of drug cases for a single year.
"Which is kind of reassuring. Not everybody out there is a walking
zombie."

Still, when Bodden started in the service 26 years ago, there weren't
nearly the prevalence of drug and social problems.

Bodden said eventually the crime reduction model will be applied to
the whole range of police services. The serious crimes unit has
already started using the approach.

For Bob Masse, on the safety and security committee of the Downtown
Maple Ridge Business Association, it may be a bit too early to tell if
the approach is working.

But he encourages any business or homeowner to report break and enters
or any attempts so they can be fed into the data system and be used to
track crime.

The BIA is currently developing a program to help burglary victims
harden their targets to prevent being revictimized.

One crime reduction unit technique that helps the whole detachment is
the development of a target sheet of the 50 most prolific offenders in
Maple Ridge.

That's posted on the wall with names and photos so all members,
especially newcomers, have a constant visual reminder of who to keep
an eye out for. "Anybody who's been here four to five months gets to
know these guys pretty quickly," Bodden said.

That is backed up by a file for each offender that gives some personal
details and family details, which can become useful in bail hearings.

That information is also e-mailed to other detachments if a suspect is
arrested in another jurisdiction, serving to reduce police time and
paperwork.