GET TOUGHER ON GANG CRIME: POLL

Canadians Strongly Back Harsher Sentences For Gang-Related Crimes

Canadians strongly support tougher sentencing to deal with an
apparent surge in gang activity, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll shows.

But half of Canadians and 64 per cent of British Columbians also back
the legalization of marijuana, the drug that fuels most organized
crime activity, especially in this province.

A huge majority of those polled -- at least 93 per cent -- support
two measures recently proposed by the federal government: treating
any gang-related homicide as a first-degree murder and bringing in
mandatory minimum prison sentences for drive-by-shootings and other
serious drug-related crimes.

The Angus Reid Strategies online poll surveyed 1,007 randomly
selected Canadian adults Feb. 26 and 27. The margin of error is plus
or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

There was also strong support for three measures recently suggested
by B.C. Attorney-General Wally Oppal: relaxing the evidence
disclosure law to allow for quick prosecution of gang members (81 per
cent); eliminating the sentencing provision that gives offenders two
days credit for every day spent in custody awaiting trial (76 per
cent); and allowing police to intercept cellphone conversations and
other wireless communications (68 per cent).

While Canadians want tougher laws against gangsters, they are less
enamoured with the Harper government's moves to curb illegal drug consumption.

Almost half of Canadians (48 per cent) reject Ottawa's move to scrap
the previous Liberal government's marijuana decriminalization legislation.

Many criminologists have suggested that decriminalization of
marijuana would reduce the amount of gang activity.

While 50 per cent of Canadians are willing to tolerate marijuana use,
they are less open-minded about pot producers and traffickers. A
strong majority of Canadians (76 per cent) support the proposal to
have mandatory minimum prison sentences and large fines for
marijuana-growing operators and drug dealers.

Fewer than eight per cent of Canadians support legalization of hard
drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth, the survey found.

A slight majority (51 per cent) opposes the termination of
"harm-reduction" programs, including supervised injection sites such
as Insite and needle-exchange programs.

The poll found that 45 per cent of Canadians say the rise in gang
activity affects everyone, while half of respondents believe the
problem is limited to specific areas and people.