COPS NEED HELP FROM OTTAWA, JUDICIARY: COLEMAN

The province's police forces and other law enforcement agencies are
doing what they can to fight crime but the help they need isn't coming
from Ottawa, says B.C.'s solicitor general.

"You need to tell [the federal' judiciary, 'You're letting us down,' "
Rich Coleman said during an address to 125 members of the Surrey
Chamber of Commerce last Thursday. "They should be part of the
solution, not the problem. The judicial system that is supposed to
reflect the values of communities has to start to listen to the people
in those communities."

Known as B.C.'s top cop, Coleman told the story of an RCMP officer who
picked up a suspected car thief who was subsequently released. Two
hours later, the same officer was in a high speed chase, pursuing the
same suspect in another stolen car.

"He had 30 convictions," said Coleman of the suspect. "The justice
system is letting us down."

Stiffer sentences for serious crimes do have an impact, said Coleman,
who added the system is also failing in the fight against marijuana
grow operations and other aspects of the drug trade.

"In the Fraser Valley, there will be 2,000 to 3,000 grow-ops raided
and shut down this year," Coleman said. "Right across the border in
Whatcom County, they won't have 10. Why? In Washington state, they've
raised the bar. Have a grow-op with more than 100 plants, it's an
automatic five years in jail. For your first offence, it's three
months in jail and they seize your assets.

"In B.C., you can be charged seven or eight times and still not get
incarcerated."

Coleman is preparing legislation in this province that would allow
authorities to seize assets of suspected drug dealers.

"If you have a grow-op, the police arrive," he said. "Then the next
guys coming in are going to take your house, your car and your bank
account. Then you have to prove you bought them with legal money. The
onus is on you."

Coleman finished the address by again urging communities to speak out
against a lax justice system. "We give all the tools we can to our law
enforcement officials and we will give them more," he said. "But when
the criminals come out the other end, we need the help of the
judiciary, we have to send a message."