TASK FORCE TO TAKE ON CRIME

More than a year after the city hosted a meeting on the crime issues
in Grand Forks, Coun. Gene Robert advised starting a task force at a
recent meeting.

One of the things that has been holding council back is the cost
issues and staff time associated with enforcing municipal bylaws, he
said at a March 2 meeting.

Things such as noise, unsightly premises and safety violations aren't
major problems. But in some cases they can be a signs that a house is
being used as a "party" or "drug" house.

However, Robert said we need to determine if there is a major problem
or simply a perceived problem. We don't want to make it impossible
for people to enjoy Grand Forks' excellent summer by cracking down on
anyone who hosts a party. On the other hand, neighbours should have
somewhere to call when things start getting out of hand and affecting
their quality of life.

As for drugs and guns, we know they're in our community. When police
conduct drug raids in the area, they're also discovering weapons. So
far, this hasn't affected the quality of life for the ordinary
citizen, but it should be noted the Vancouver area wasn't known for
its high crime rate until very recently.

With the economic downturn, Grand Forks is particularly vulnerable to
these types of problems. That's why Robert's task force is a good
idea. He plans to bring together both RCMP and representatives from
social service agencies. He also said he plans to examine youth
issues and how young people have been affected by the economic
downturn. Just cracking down on dealers and users isn't going to
address the underlying issues that cause people to turn to drugs and
crime. Today we may be asking if this is a real problem or a
perceived problem. In the future we, like Vancouver, could be asking
how this problem got so out of hand.