WHILE WE DAWDLE, CRIMINALS ARE BUILDING THEIR EMPIRE

Editor, The News:

Your paper's year-end interviews with the mayor and members of city
council presented some revealing insights into the concerns and
interests of local politicians. They seem to have a pretty good grasp
of the significant issues our community will need to contend with in
2007.

I do wonder, however, if one significant issue is being crowded off
the Abbotsford stage. Crime received only scant mention, and drugs and
gangs were entirely omitted.

Possibly this is due to a pre-occupation with the looming challenge of
implementing Plan A, which was cited a number of times as a priority
item.

As exciting as Plan A is, unless we get serious about grappling with
crime in our city, we may conclude in a few years that we were blindsided.

When an Abbotsford teen was advised to leave town to escape gang
harassment just over a year ago, The News devoted the entire front
page to the issue of crime, drugs and gangs.

Your Dec. 3, 2005 headline warned "Gangs getting a free ride as police
struggle."

The article stated that "72 per cent of organized gangs may operate
free of significant law enforcement attention because of a shortage of
police resources."

I do believe the mayor and council understand we have a
problem.

In responding to recent requests for help from fearful citizens of one
neighbourhood, Mayor Ferguson stated, "We need to take back the streets."

We all agree, but we must recognize that it won't be easy and we must
quickly go beyond good intentions.

To gain a more complete understanding of the turmoil created by gangs
and drugs, each of us - councillors and citizens- might benefit
from reading Death Dealers.

In this well-researched, rather chilling account, Yves Lavigne says
gangs have the resources to buy police, prosecutors, and judges, and
to hire the most expensive attorneys.

He says gang incomes are so vast, they weigh their money. Counting
consumes too much time.

The challenges posed by gangs, drugs, and all types of crime will
almost certainly increase.

I do not know how our leaders plan to respond, but I would like to
offer a suggestion. Why not employ the Plan A model and thinking to
combat crime in Abbotsford?

Our elected leaders have come up with a bold vision for fostering
culture, the arts, sports and recreation. Together with city staff,
they have created a plan. The business community has endorsed and
promoted it. As a community, we have voted to allocate the necessary
resources.

To deal with crime we will also require leadership, vision, a plan and
commitment. Commitment will be particularly important.

Our politicians need to know that we want them to work on this, and
that as a community we will join them.

If we dawdle now, we may soon regret our complacency. While we build
facilities, criminals will be extending their spheres of influence and
building an empire.

The time to take action is now, while we still have a hope of
winning.

Art Martens

Abbotsford