NAIL SERIAL ROBBERS

We have a crisis of law and order in British Columbia.

It is the fault of a permissive society and a justice system which
mollycoddles career criminals.

We seem unwilling or incapable of straightening out those who prey on
law-abiding citizens.

We talk a lot about the trials and tribulations of drug addicts. But, we
minimize the havoc these punks cause.

And we ignore the terror and financial hardship they impose on B.C.'s
hard-working small business people -- and the workers they hire.

The case of the cocaine-crazed serial robber we told you about Friday
should alarm all parents -- especially those whose children work in
fast-food outlets, stores and service stations.

This particular low-life has a rap sheet for everything from fraud to
assaulting women with a hypodermic needle.

The 24-year-old goes around abusing any poor soul who happens to get
between him and his craving for instant cash.

Like scores of other delinquents, he is someone who should be doing hard
time in jail, working to repay his debt to society -- and undergoing a
forced drug treatment program.

But, instead, he is getting kid-glove treatment from our courts.

As investigative reporter Fabian Dawson points out, the most severe
sentence he has received is 30 days in jail.

Currently, he is charged with robbing the same Vancouver Subway sandwich
shop twice in one week last month. The robberies took place after he was
released on a "conditional sentence" for robbing the same Subway three
times in February.

Conditional sentences allow judges to keep crooks deemed to be non-violent
out of jail. The problem is they have been repeatedly used for sentencing
violent criminals.

Reform MP Randy White calls conditional sentencing a failure. "It was never
meant to be used for serious offenders, but I know people on conditional
sentence who have raped and even murdered."

The drug-crazed robber we featured has scabs on his face that are
consistent with cocaine abuse. He tells the clerks he terrorizes that his
assaults are not "personal."

Vancouver detective Paul Bittante says the man's violent behaviour is
escalating. The courts meanwhile, appear to be condoning such behaviour.

"I feel for the victims," says Bittante, a 23-year police veteran. "It's so
hard for some of these businesses to find and train good workers and people
like this traumatize them."

We couldn't agree more. It's time British Columbians took so-called petty
crimes personally. Very personally, indeed.

What do you think? Is it time to get tough with serial robbers? Write or
e-mail us and let us know.