CHILLING WORDS ABOUT OUR PROVINCE

Police Raid On The Legislature Has Raised Concerns About The Reach Of
Organized Crime

Two days after Sunday's dramatic police raid on the provincial legislature,
British Columbians are in the strange position of having too much
information -- and way too little.

Too much, because we are being bombarded with a blizzard of unfamiliar
names of political aides, organizers and others who may possibly -- or may
not -- eventually be proven guilty of wrongdoing.

Way too little, because nothing that investigators have revealed so far
allows us to draw even tentative conclusions about the conduct of the
individuals involved, or whether there is a pattern of illegal behaviour
touching what should be the most hallowed hall of our democracy.

It will be months, according to police, before the investigations are
complete. And it will undoubtedly take many months after that to establish
who did what, and why.

As far as individuals are concerned, we have no choice but to suspend
judgment as the legal system grinds slowly towards its inevitable conclusions.

With many more questions than answers, we are left to ponder the sketchy
outline of the case provided Monday in Vancouver by RCMP Sgt. John Ward.

Ward talked about organized crime reaching "epidemic proportions" in B.C.,
"touching every region and every major street corner." In just the past two
years, he said, it has become "like a cancer on the social and economic
well-being of all British Columbians."

We tend to joke about "B.C. Bud" and our province's image as a mountainous
version of the drug-tolerant Netherlands. But Ward's words were no joking
matter.

"We are seeing major increases," he said, "in organized crime-related
murders, beatings, extortion, money-laundering and other activity which
touches many innocent lives."

These would be sobering words at any time. Coming hours after police
entered offices in the legislature and carted away dozens of boxes of
documents and other evidence, they can only be chilling.

The investigation may go on for months, but the public needs more specific
information as quickly as possible. Without more facts, and with only
Ward's far-reaching statement to go by, the risk is that many people will
jump to the worst possible conclusions about the state of political life in
B.C.

The good news so far is that police have made absolutely clear that no
elected officials are involved or are under investigation. There is not
even the hint of criminal behaviour at the highest political level.

Still, the offices of senior aides to two ministers have been searched. One
was effectively fired on Monday (while publicly proclaiming his innocence),
and another was suspended from his job.

They may have been removed quickly from their positions, but troubling
questions remain.

Both men were ministerial assistants with close ties to their bosses,
Finance Minister Gary Collins and Transportation Minister Judith Reid. By
definition, they were trusted aides and political confidants of the ministers.

If it eventually turns out that criminal behaviour was involved (and so far
there is no proof at all of that), it will reflect extremely poorly on the
judgment of those who put such trust in them.

At least one thing has been done right in all this, and done quickly. A
special prosecutor, Vancouver lawyer William Berardino, has been appointed
to handle the case.

He will decide whether the evidence gathered by police warrants criminal
charges, without political influence or involvement.

And that is as it should be.