ATTORNEY-GENERAL WALLY OPPAL WANTS TO LOOK AT NEW APPROACH TO REPEAT OFFENDERS

VANCOUVER - B.C. Attorney-General Wally Oppal says the province may have to
take a new approach when it comes to dealing with chronic criminals.

"I think we have to take a new look at what we're doing. I think we have to
take maybe a community approach," Oppal said Tuesday.

The attorney-general said the courts take the brunt of the blame for people
who reoffend. "But we have to ask ourselves if somebody's committing
offences over and over again, why they're doing it."

Police say a small number of repeat offenders are responsible for about 80
per cent of crimes committed in British Columbia. "We have to decide
whether to incarcerate those people for long periods of time or whether we
should correct their behaviour," Oppal said.

While he said crime is the result, drug addiction is often at the core of
the problem.

"Maybe would should start looking at that from a health perspective," he
said. "Other countries have done that."