POLITICIZING CRIME

Evidence of increased gang activity in Quinte West and "hard" drugs on
the streets on Cobourg were just two of the frank admissions to emerge
from a round table discussion held in Trenton last week that was
attended by more than 20 police officers, police services board
representatives, Crime Stoppers officials and victims' assistance groups.

The three-hour sit-down was part of a Canada-wide initiative requested
by Justice Minister Vic Toews to inform community groups about what
the federal government is doing to combat crime and to solicit their
feedback.

The round table discussion, hosted by Northumberland-Quinte West MP
Rick Norlock, was a positive step towards getting the facts and
feelings on the table. Ironically, closing the meeting to the public
only opened the door to residents most affected by crime feeling alienated.

With a minority government and the ever-looming reality of another
federal election within the next year, it is hard to imagine that the
cross-Canada round tables are anything more than an attempt by the
Conservatives to be seen doing something.

The answers they are receiving, of course, should have been known
during the build-up to the last election.

Candidates were out meeting with residents, community groups,
stakeholder groups, attending debates and getting a sense of what
people in their individual communities had concerns with.

If crime was a concern for a particular community that in fact should
have been known six months ago and not come as a revelation from a
closed-door discussion now. While crime in general appeared low on
voters' minds during extremely well-attended all candidates debates in
Colborne and Campbellford, Stephen Harper's Conservatives continued to
hammer home their crime platform at every opportunity.

In reality, the Conservatives have already set the ball rolling on
mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes, legislation regarding
street racing, funding to hire more police officers and raising the
age of sexual consent - all issues outlined in the last election.

Any round table discussion on crime needs to include the public as a
whole. If gang activity or "hard" drugs are becoming more prevalent in
our communities, it needs to be made public so that all segments of
our communities are on the same page.

Crime, or preventing it, shouldn't be used as a political football by
any party. Rather, communities as a whole need to be afforded the
opportunity to take part in the same "frank" discussions held during
the recent round table.

We are all part of the solution when it comes to crime. Whether it is
parents talking to their children, teachers talking to students, or
local citizens being more aware of their surroundings and what goes on
in their community.

Rather than attempt to score political points on their crime
initiatives, the Conservative government should be speaking to and
consulting with the rest of society so that we may all be better
informed and can assist in forging a solution.