SURREY'S CRIME RATE PLUMMETS

Break And Enters Fall 27 Per Cent And Drug Crimes Are Down 21 Per
Cent

SURREY - Months after launching an ambitious crime reduction strategy,
City of Surrey officials -- from politicians to police -- are set to
boast today of a dramatic drop in the city's crime rate.

"We're pretty excited about the first quarter results," said Mayor
Dianne Watts, referring to crime statistics published in a RCMP report
covering January to March.

"It clearly shows we are seeing results immediately," she
said.

Watts is expected to join Surrey RCMP Supt. Craig Callens and Staff
Sgt. Brad Haugli, head of the detachment's property crime and auto
theft unit, at a news conference this morning.

According to the police report, property crime in Surrey is down eight
per cent over the same period last year.

The report also cites a 27-per-cent decrease in break and enters and a
21-per-cent reduction in theft from vehicles.

Though some crime has spiked in certain criminal categories (including
theft over $5,000 and robbery), overall, Surrey shows a 13-per-cent
decrease so far this year over last, including violent crimes (down
four per cent), property crimes (down eight per cent), drug crimes
(down 21 per cent), and other criminal code offences (down 21 per cent).

The reduced crime rate has even trickled into Whalley, renowned for
being one of the city's worst neighbourhoods with a history of
prostitution, homelessness and drug dealers, residents say. Many of
the gun shops and x-rated video stores that had lined King George
Highway, in a strip between 105th and 108th avenues, are now gone.

Ann Keech, who walks home after midnight from her job in Whalley every
night, said she's never been hassled in six years. She notes there's
been an increased police presence in the area and she "hasn't lost a
bike so far this year." She's lost four bikes in the past two years.

Robert Speed, owner of the Fireside Cafe at the corner of King George
Highway and 108th Avenue, agreed there has hasn't been as much crime
lately, with vandalism and graffiti particularly down, but maintains
the city has just shuffled the problem to other areas.

"There are still a fair number of crackheads and dealers. They go
through and clean them all up, but give them a week and they come back
again," Speed said.

Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd said it's far too soon
to say what's behind Surrey's decrease in crime.

Watts was quick to link the report's "good news" with the
implementation of the city's crime reduction strategy, which was
officially unveiled in February.

"What it is doing is tackling the root causes of crime," Watts said
Thursday of the strategy.

Based on long-running crime reduction programs in the United Kingdom,
Surrey's strategy is predicted by its supporters to reduce crime in
the city by 25 per cent or more within the first two years of
implementation.

The strategy focuses on bringing government and community agencies --
from police and drug treatment counsellors to parole officers and
business associations -- together to reduce crime.

In accordance with the more than 100 recommendations in the strategy,
Surrey has worked to find long-term housing for some of the city's
homeless population, has approved an increase in social housing, opened a

30-day detox centre, and is in the process of knocking down more than
100 abandoned homes citywide to discourage illegal drug users from
setting up inside.

Other recommendations include working with the province to establish
community courts to help direct repeat criminals into drug treatment,
housing assistance and job training and installing closed-circuit
television cameras in crime "hot spots."

Watts said the strategy takes the pressure off police to do all the
work around crime, and redistributes the responsibility.

"It's typically not what we've been doing for the past five, 10 or
even 15 years. We've just said, predominantly, 'OK, police, you deal
with it. You fix it,'" she said.

Surrey's crime reduction strategy has attracted much attention from
municipalities across Canada.

Set to launch its own version of a crime fighting strategy, Vancouver
officials are among those watching Surrey carefully right now.

"We're glad to hear that Surrey's strategy is working," said Coun. Kim
Capri, a proponent of Vancouver's Project Civil City.

Capri said Vancouver is interested in borrowing some elements from the
Surrey model, including increasing police visibility on the streets.
It's important, she said, that municipalities work together to
eradicate crime, and not just displace it.

According to Boyd, crime trends are best tracked over a period of
years, in order to account for random fluctuations in numbers or
displacement of crime from one area to another.

He called Surrey's figures "promising," but said he's yet to be
convinced of their accuracy. "I'm not a total pessimist, or inherently
cynical, but with these kinds of claims you have to ask a lot of
questions," he said.

CRIME ON A DECLINE

Surrey Criminal Code offences, with the percentage change in the first
quarter of 2007 over the same period last year.

VIOLENT CRIMES

Overall -4%

Homicide -60 %

Attempted murder no chge

Robbery +6%

Assaults -4%

Abduction -62 %

PROPERTY CRIMES

Overall -8%

Break and Enter -27%

- -- residential -11%

- -- business -12%

Theft from vehicles -21%

Theft over $5,000 +143%

Theft under $5,000 -8%

Possession of stolen property +56 %

Fraud no change

OTHER CRIMINAL CODE OFFENCES

Overall -21 %

Morals (i.e./procuring prostitution) -55%

Offensive weapons -11%

Other Criminal Code offences (i.e. white collar crime)
- -21%

DRUG CRIMES

Overall -21%

Cocaine possession -29%

Marijuana production -31%

Marijuana possession -30%

Source: Surrey RCMP