'WE PLAY BY THE LAW AND THE CRIMINALS DON'T'

Distressed and worried residents packed the chambers of City Hall
Thursday night to meet with the RCMP and the City about crime in their
neighbourhoods.

Chuck Pearson, who lives on Ninth Avenue, had asked the City to meet
with him and his neighbours about the issue, and in particular about
alleged drug dealers who live in their neighbourhood, after starting a
petition two weeks ago to force a property owner to evict the problem
residents in a nearby home believed to be a drug house.

Pearson gathered more than 140 signatures, which has since caused the
landlord to agree on Aug. 23 to evict the tenants.

"We did achieve some pretty quick results with the property owner,"
Pearson said at the meeting.

Pearson, with the support of Coun. Tom Barr, has started another
petition to put through to property owners in the Glendale area to
also evict people believed to be involved in criminal activity.

Earlier this month, a group of individuals broke into the Comer
Station Beer and Wine Store, which is owned by Coun. Tom Barr. Barr,
who was at the meeting, noted he also has concerns about crime in the
city.

A few of Pearson's neighbours, as well as those who live in other
areas of the city concerned about crime, spoke up at the meeting,
wanting answers to what appears to be escalating crime in the community.

A woman who lives near Glendale said officers visit her neighbourhood
frequently. Her children are scared to play in their yard. She said
the RCMP have been great at showing up when called, but the problem
isn't being solved.

She said a group, believed to be the 7-1-2- gang, is renting a home
nearby and is continually causing problems.

"Nothing really seems to be being done. They don't get evicted, they
don't get held accountable for the mess they make," she said, adding
she hears gunfire go off in her neighbourhood on a weekly basis. "When
my boyfriend's not home, I'm scared in my own house, from all the
stupid kids running around."

She said it's gotten to the point where she is ready to sell her home
and move out of Williams Lake.

"I don't think that's an option I think is a good one to do because
I'd rather stand with my two feet on the ground and say, you know
what? I'm proud of where I live and what I do for work . but this is
getting ridiculous."

Brian Carruthers, general manager of community services for the City
of Williams Lake, said the City has a bylaw that was established last
year, which allows the City to go into residences to deal with houses
with marijuana grow operations and meth labs since many of them
violate building and fire codes.

He said the RCMP are limited in their abilities and need to have
warrant and reasonable, probable grounds for entering someone's home.

"You can't just bust into somebody's home on suspicion of drug
activity," he said.

The bylaw, he said, might not deal with the offense taking place, but
it does obstruct their activity by being able to go in an inspect their home.

The bylaw, however, hasn't been used, but due to the concerns that
have been raised by Pearson and his neighbourhood, the City will be
considering using it now, he said.

"Certainly, this issue on Ninth Avenue is a catalyst," he
said.

Staff Sgt. Grant Martin said the police need all the evidence before
being able to deal with the drug houses.

"We can go in there 15 times a week, but we're limited to what we can
do," he said.

Coun. Ed Mead noted there are two other problem houses in the area,
including one on 10th Avenue and one on Western Avenue.

"That's in my neighbourhood where I walk every night, so I am very
concerned, as you are," Mead said. "We have about 35 different things
we have done in the last few years."

He said council hired a full-time drug enforcement officer, a safer
communities coordinator, and a social development coordinator;
increased funding for auxiliary policing; is working on trying to get
a local detox centre; partnered with the Cariboo Regional District and
the RCMP; increased funding to the community policing office, which
has seen a growth in the number of programs and volunteers; spent
$30,000 on security cameras for downtown; started a crime reduction
committee; initiated dialogue with First Nations bands; met with the
RCMP, Crown Counsel, the Chief Justice of B.C., solicitor general, and
the premier; created a panhandling bylaw; started a crime target team;
started a $5,000 vandalism tip reward line; held public forums on
crime as well as a youth forum, which led to the creation of a youth
council; got the Bait Car program started; last year approved $250,000
for extra policing service for foot and bike patrols; this year
approved $40,000 to be taken from the City's surplus to be used for
the equivalent of two extra police officers for the remainder of the
year, starting in September; provided impact statements to the courts;
put more money into Victim Services; and lobbied for the prolific
offenders program, which is now in place.

"We've been successful in doing that, no money for it, but we've been
successful," he said, noting the importance of the program since 85
per cent of the crimes committed are committed by 15 per cent of the
people.

"Our thing is we want to go after these people and that's the purpose
of the prolific offenders program," he said, adding that the various
programs council has started have made an impact.

"We have been active. Has it done any good? I believe it has, but are
we still number 1? Yes. As you read today, we are still number 1 in
the province, statistically wise. We want to be zero per cent." Nelson
said the problem lies with the Crown since the prolific offenders are
consistently let off.

"It's not that the community and the RCMP are not doing their jobs.
They are. The problem is and lies specifically with the Crown," Nelson
said, explaining that prolific offenders continue to be let off.

Pearson said although the City has started a number of programs to
deal with the situation, the programs aren't working. He said he's
talked to half a dozen people who are ready to take matters into their
own hands.

"They're ready to go out and beat the daylights or the life out of
some kid just because he is wandering around in a black hoodie. That's
where we're at. I listened to what you've said, what you've done, and
I'm sorry."

Mead says he is just as concerned as Pearson is, and knows the issues
the community faces.

"If you come up with some better ideas that are legal, let us know. We
will do them," Mead said.

Pearson noted that the petition to get the tenants out of the drug
house has made a bigger difference in the last two weeks than what
council has done. He's spent his evenings taking down license plate
numbers and taking pictures, and says he got the drug traffic down to
what he believes is five per cent of what it was before.

Auto theft, he said, has gotten out of control, noting a Glendale
resident has had his pickup truck stolen three times.

"As the mayor I accept the responsibility," Nelson said, "because you
have to have a team leader, and I have to tell you, I'm a person who
believes in getting things done. . But we are sometimes pressed on
whether or not it's legal, because we play by the law and the
criminals don't."

He said people should write letters to the editor and Crown Counsel,
join community policing, and go to court to show the judge their
frustrations and concerns.

Martin noted that the problem doesn't solely lie on Crown Counsel. The
RCMP is also bound by the laws.

"We work pretty good with Crown. Would we like it to be stronger?
Yeah. I'm sure policing could be stronger as well," Martin said. "A
lot of the things you're talking about in your neighbourhood is
exactly what frustrates the hell out of us because we're bound by the
law as well."

Cpl. Marc Menard said there are about 150 prolific offenders in the
community who are keeping the detachment busy 80 to 95 per cent of the
time. The RCMP, through the prolific offenders program, narrowed the
list down to 12 people believed to be the ring leaders of the criminal
activities.

"These officers are extremely busy as it is," Menard said. "Two to
three officers a day, sitting in their office doing paperwork on their
own time on days off, just to try to keep up."

He says the RCMP will continue to work diligently to keep firm
pressure on the house on Ninth Avenue, as well as other homes in the
neighbourhood that are causing problems.

"We're going to go back to the basics. Excuse the expression, we're
going to harass the [expletive] out of these people."

After the meeting, Pearson said that while he agrees with Nelson that
Crown Counsel should be held accountable, he was hoping to hear better
solutions at the meeting, rather than the City presenting an old bylaw
that hasn't been acted upon. "It doesn't seem like it's going to be
very effective. It's two, three years old."