NEW LAW ENHANCES FIGHT AGAINST CRIME

At a meeting with The Daily News editorial board 18 months ago,
Halifax Regional Police Chief Frank Beazley shared an experience from
one of the town-hall sessions he holds in various neighbourhoods on a
regular basis.

This one was in north-end Halifax, and the main topic for discussion
was a crack house on Bilby Street, which was a focal point not only
for drugs, but also prostitution and even gunfire.

At the end of the meeting, the chief found a note that had been left for him.

It read: "Please help us."

The note had a deep effect on Beazley. He and his staff developed an
integrative approach to the problem of the crack house. It involved
not only police officers, but also building inspectors,
bylaw-enforcement officers, fire-prevention officers and the
provincial government.

The outcome: no more crack house.

But the problem would not have come to Beazley's attention if the
neighbours of the crack house had suffered in silence. The note was
the catalyst for the crackdown.

That was one street. There are others with similar - if not worse -
difficulties.

Now, the province plans to help Nova Scotian citizens and police
departments widen the crime-fighting net.

The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act will create a special,
three-member provincial unit that will investigate complaints of
properties suspected of use for criminal purposes.

If the unit's probe finds proof of wrongdoing, it can ask property
owners or tenants to cease and desist - or be shut down by police.

What's important here is that various agencies will share
information, just as they did during the campaign against the Bilby
Street crack house. And citizens can take the initiative in
reclaiming their neighbourhoods.

Crime is a major concern in metro and the rest of the province. This
new law marks a welcome step toward addressing that concern. It's yet
another weapon to be wielded in the fight against crime.