CITY COUNCIL WANTS OTTAWA TO TOUGHEN SENTENCES FOR DRUG OFFENDERS

DAWSON CREEK - City council unanimously approved a motion Monday urging the
federal government to stiffen drug-related sentences.

The motion drafted by a committee on drugs says "this community wishes to
see these sentences stiffened to ensure that there is a clear consequence
to this behaviour" and calls on the provincial government to get behind the
motion.

It will be forwarded to the North Central Municipal Association's annual
general meeting taking place in May in Terrace.

If it gets the support of the association, it will be forwarded to the
Union of B. C. Municipalities meeting in September.

"What I would like to see is that once this thing goes to the UBCM, to get
it on the floor of the FCM, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities,"
said Mayor Wayne Dahlen.

"What we need is some support from our attorney general and from that
ministry and to put some pressure on the feds. . . . All sorts of these
resolutions have been passed before, but we have to keep the pressure on."