ALBERTA BOLSTERS FIGHT AGAINST CRIME

Proposal Takes Aim At 'Rampant' Substance Abuse

Concerned with violent crime and rampant drug and alcohol abuse, the
Alberta government will unveil today a new crime strategy that will
bolster police officer ranks while also targeting the roots of
substance abuse. Though government officials were tight-lipped
Monday, a source said the strategy will include more police officers.
The plan will also look at how Alberta's police forces can co-operate
better to tackle rising threats such as organized crime and youth crime.

But the announcement won't only focus on law enforcement. It will
look at tackling crime on three fronts, including enforcement,
prevention and treatment. It will also target the social issues
surrounding crime, like drug and alcohol abuse.

The plan may include more spaces at treatment facilities for people
with substance abuse issues.

The government strategy -- to be announced by Premier Ed Stelmach in
Edmonton -- comes in response to the Safe Communities task force
report, which will be released at the same time. The task force has
made more than 30 recommendations aimed at reducing crime and making
communities safer.

Calgary-Fish Creek MLA Heather Forsyth said there isn't an area of
the province that isn't touched by crime and that all Albertans have
a role to play in addressing the issue.

Forsyth, who led the task force, said she's concerned by how
"rampant" drug and alcohol abuse is in all corners of the province.
She said what's happening on First Nations reserves is "devastating."

"People have to start opening their eyes in this province to the
crime that's happening around them," she added.

"I think (the strategy) will make a huge difference in the province
once the recommendations are implemented," said Forsyth, who led the
task force.

The mother of a man murdered almost four years ago welcomes the
prospect of bringing more police officers onto the streets, saying
it's key to combatting crime.

But, Sherry Morrison added, a bigger concern is the revolving door of
the justice system.

"We need more police," she said. "But the fact is we also need to
have the judges apply the laws we have more vigorously."

The government strategy -- to be announced by Premier Ed Stelmach in
Edmonton -- comes in response to the Safe Communities task force
report, which will be released at the same time. The task force has
made more than 30 recommendations aimed at reducing crime and making
communities safer.

The nine-member panel was launched in March with the aim of
determining the root causes of crime.

In touring 14 communities across the province, the group was asked to
seek input from Albertans on ways to reduce crime, enhance community
safety and improve public confidence in the criminal justice system.
It looked for successful, anti-crime strategies at the community level.

Liberal MLA Harry Chase, who made two presentations to the task
force, said he'll be watching carefully to see what recommendations
aren't adopted by the province. He noted that the government has
rejected recommendations of previous task force groups, including one
last spring to implement rent controls.

"That's my concern because I'm afraid that the emphasis that should
be on, first, prevention and then on rehabilitation may be skipped in
favour of just a 'hit-them-hard' kind of thing," said Chase, MLA for
Calgary-Varsity.

Justice Minister and Deputy Premier Ron Stevens said the government's
response to the task force report will be positive and "pro-active."

While law enforcement will play a key role, Solicitor General Fred
Lindsay said his emphasis is on strengthening the provincewide
information network, as well as multi-city teams such as the
Integrated Response to Organized Crime and the Integrated Child
Exploitation Unit.

"As time goes on, we just have to do more and more of those types of
initiatives because it's not just a matter of putting police on the
street, it's working together more effectively and efficiently,"
Lindsay said. "And certainly more police officers will be a part of
that, but the biggest part is being smarter in what we're doing."

A senior government source said that while Stelmach's action plan
will pledge more officers, the government is still working through
its 2008 budget plan to confirm how many.

Morrison, whose son Jeffrey Shuckburgh was fatally shot on Jan. 7,
2004, outside his bar after evicting a man for bringing a sawed-off
rifle, said the revolving door of the justice system is a major issue.

"More structure in sentencing is really key to this, rather than a
slap on the wrist," Morrison said, adding she's not necessarily
calling for tougher laws. "We need to apply the laws we have in a
better and fairer way."

Medicine Hat Police Chief Gord Earl is anxious to see what the task
force comes up with, but said he is less interested in the results as
he is in seeing the province follow through on the recommendations.

"I don't think after their time and study they're shocked by their
findings," he said. "We need less task force, more action."

Tom McKenzie, chief of the Lethbridge Regional Police Service said
they will be following strategies that recognize what the local
citizens are concerned about.