BARRICADES ONLY STOP TRAFFIC, WHALLEY BUSINESSMEN SAY

'I Still See Drug Addicts; I Still See Prostitutes,' Auto Shop Worker Says

Surrey's "zero-tolerance" approach to crime in Whalley is not working and
is doing more harm than good, say some business owners in the first block
targeted for action.

"It's made no difference [to crime] at all," said Shane Hussein, store
manager for Surrey Automotive Heads Unlimited, located on 135A Street.

"The only thing it's done is stop traffic, but it's only stopping traffic
that's coming to our business."

"It's hurting our business, too," said Parkash Chand, equipment manager for
P&T Transmission. "The permanent customers still come, but it's hurting me
with the road traffic business."

At issue is a system of barricades erected by the city on 135A Street
designed to reduce street racing and dangerous and unwelcome traffic.

The block, considered one of the most notorious in the Whalley area, is
also the target of increased police presence and a strict system of bylaw
enforcement.

In announcing the program late last month, Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said
police, fire and city officials will "go side by side and make sure that,
for instance, the buildings have the proper bylaws and the proper zoning is
done.

"We'll have the police if there's any drugs or prostitution. We'll have the
fire department as far as safety. The engineering department will be really
strict on any garbage or litter that's up there.

"Any graffiti, the engineering department -- if it's on our buildings --
will take it off immediately, or if it's on private property they'll have
12 hours to get it off. We're going to be extremely tough."

But Chand said nothing has changed since the program's inception. "People
are still breaking into the cars in my lot and sleeping there.

"I still see drug addicts; I still see prostitutes."

Yazdi Met, manager of VAP Brake & Clutch agreed.

"I think it's a waste of time," he said of the program. "You barricade one
side [of the road]; they're going to move to another section. There's got
to be another way of dealing with these people."

Met said he sees the same number of junkies and prostitutes in the area as
he always did.

"Unless [McCallum] does something where he legalizes prostitution and makes
a home for junkies, that's the only way we're going to deal with these people."

Jack Klinker of Gateway Service also said there has been no change. "I get
to work here at 6:30 every morning, and there are still the same folks
[prostitutes and homeless people] roaming around as before."

But McCallum defended the program Monday, saying residents and business
owners he's spoken to are encouraged by the progress it's made so far.

"We know already that there have been improvements," he said. "Residents
and businesses have said it's quieter. There's no car racing."

But Hussein says it's ridiculous for McCallum to boast about no street
racing because there never has been any street racing on 135A Street.

"It's not working. And if he's saying that he's reduced the street racing,
he's wrong because there was never any street racing here at all."

Hussein is helping to collect signatures on a petition demanding that the
barricades come down. He says organizers have collected about 200
signatures so far.

Tom Erickson, owner of Tom, the Tire Guy, was the only business owner
contacted by The Sun on Monday who noticed any change. He said he thought
there were fewer cars cruising around the area than there were before.

He also applauded McCallum for trying to do something.

"I think it's an experiment at this stage," Erickson said. "As long as they
try to shake those people up and scare 'em. It hasn't been going long
enough to know if it's going to be effective."

Said McCallum: "Some blocks will be easier than others. But our initial
reaction to the first five days is that it's had some positive results."

He also said that the next block targeted by the city will be 108 Avenue
between the SkyTrain station and King George Highway.

Business owners there said they welcomed anything that could be done to
improve the area.

"It needs to be cleaned up," said Anne Orrock of Micanno Ceramics.

She said in one week she found three needles on her back stoop, adding that
"you see all kinds of things" along the road.

Meanwhile Constable Tim Shields of Surrey RCMP said in a voicemail message
Monday that there were no new developments to report in investigations into
five home invasions in Surrey in January.

Shields was not available for an interview.