LEGISLATION TARGETS ORGANIZED CRIME

An admitted fan of The Sopranos, Justice Minister Frank Quennell and the
provincial government are looking to crack down on the real-life versions of
Tony and the crew with two new pieces of legislation aimed at organized
crime in Saskatchewan.

The Seizure of Criminal Property Act allows property that is being actively
used in carrying out an unlawful activity or is the proceeds of an unlawful
activity to be seized and sold.

Property seized can be virtually anything as long as it is being used in the
criminal activity, including vehicles, houses or land.

In instances where the criminal is not the sole owner of the property being
used, any other owners' interests will be taken into consideration.

Under the Criminal Enterprise Suppression Act managers or owners of a
business who are members of a criminal organization could see provincial tax
or liquor licences withheld or receive a court order prohibiting them from
storing or selling liquor.

Applications to have any of these actions taken must be made by the chief of
police in the respective community.

Quennell said keeping communities safe is a key priority for this
government.

"Gangs and other criminal organizations are motivated by profit," he said.
"By removing profit and the tools used to make that profit from the hands of
criminals, we will assist our police services to make Saskatchewan an
undesirable location for organized crime activity."

Justice critic Don Morgan said the Saskatchewan Party is generally
supportive of legislation that gives police more resources but wanted to
have a thorough look through both bills.

"Whenever you've got these ones that deal with seizure of property, it
always raises the spectre of the 18-year-old with his father's car and he
has a joint of marijuana. Where do you go with that? He had the car with the
father's permission or the father didn't know the marijuana was there --
what's fair, what's appropriate? You have to develop some good checks and
balances and a sense of fairness on it," he said.

Morgan added that the Suppression Act led to another concern with the way
liquor licences are handed out in the province. He said to apply for or hold
a licence, criminal record checks must be provided on a regular basis.

"Is there something falling down in there, do they see a problem that people
are somehow doing something improper with liquor licences? I'm not sure what
they're trying to address with that," he said.