MLA WON'T INTRODUCE SAFETY LEGISLATION

Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton won't be introducing a bill to
bring Safe Community and Neighbourhoods legislation to B.C.

Dalton said last week he's not going to do that after agreeing last
fall to review the legislation and even work with the NDP to see its
possible introduction to B.C.

But Dalton now supports the position stated by Solicitor General Kash
Heed in a letter to Maple Ridge council.

"The Civil Forfeiture Act (2005) gives government the ability to
target the financial base of criminal activity," Heed wrote to
council recently.

Dalton says he's not dropping the issue and planned to talk last week
to Mayor Ernie Daykin about it.

But, "I'm not likely to be putting forward legislation independently."

Dalton said he'd call the director of civil forfeiture to see how the
act can be used to target slums and drug houses.

"It seems that we have some of those tools," he said.

He also said he'd talk to Heed, adding there's a cost factor to
introducing new legislation or a new program, just for the sake of doing so.

SCAN laws in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba improve community
safety by targeting properties used for illegal activities such as
drugs, gangs, and prostitution, and holding property owners
accountable for what takes place on their property.

Coun. Craig Speirs said at a January council meeting that the
legislation would give municipalities the ability to act on problem
properties, and clean up the streets.

Council voted to send another letter to Heed asking for specifics of
what the province plans to do to help municipalities deal with
problem properties.