JUDGE TOUTS EASTSIDE COMMUNITY COURT

Tom Gove Believes Downtown Facility Best Way To Reduce Street Disorder

VANCOUVER - A Vancouver Provincial Court judge is thinking outside
the prisoner's box to help chronic offenders help themselves.

Judge Tom Gove believes a community court in the Downtown Eastside is
the best way to reduce street disorder in Canada's poorest neighbourhood.

Community courts take a problem-solving approach to offenders, using
a range of health and social services like housing, mental health,
drug treatment, welfare and job training.

They can hand out jail time but their prime goal is to help the
accused change their ways.

"Many people who commit crimes are doing so because of their own
social situation," Gove told The Province yesterday, from his
chambers at 222 Main.

Gove figures there are 300 people outside his window for whom the
courts are a revolving door for crimes like theft, breaking into cars
and causing a disturbance.

Most are drug addicts, or mentally ill, and effectively homeless.

"The community court wants to solve the problem that leads . . . to
the crime," he said.

"We want to get to the problem. We're not looking at putting people
in jail if we don't have to."

In September 2005, a provincial study into street crime recommended
the community court, which is a priority of Attorney-General Wally Oppal.

About 70 per cent of street criminals in Vancouver are chronic
re-offenders. Each offender makes an average of 7.6 court appearances.

After a short sentence, or time served, they're given probation with
a set of conditions which, in many cases, they ignore.

Gove said the community court will:

- - Deal with the offender that day or within two weeks;

- - Impose community work service, rather than straight jail time;

- - Set up a community court advisory board for citizen feedback.

- - Train an offender for a job, supported by local businesses.

There are 26 community courts in the U.S., and a couple in the U.K.
The Vancouver court will be the first in Canada when it opens in December.

Since the first community court opened in New York in 1993, Times
Square has been transformed from a no-go area into a tourist mecca.

"The public is a bit frustrated in a justice system that, they think,
doesn't seem to respond very efficiently to criminal behaviour," said
Alison MacPhail of the Attorney-General Ministry.

"Seeing somebody actually perform useful public service, that alone
is a significant improvement."

Vancouver already is testing a drug treatment court, where offenders
must get treatment, then come back to court to report progress. Only
drug charges were referred to this court, but property offences have
been added because so many offenders had drug problems.

Surrey said in February it would open a community court.

Next week, Gove will lead public forums on community courts and talk
with stakeholder groups.

The forums will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Vancouver Public
Library, 350 West Georgia; on Thursday at the Coast Plaza Hotel, 1763
Comox; and April 18 at the Japanese Hall, 487 Alexander.