AMALGAMATION WOULD FIGHT CRIME

The Canadian Centre of Substance Abuse states that the abuse of
alcohol, drugs and tobacco cost the taxpayers of our country $38.9
billion per year.

I would suggest that the senior governments benefit by over double
that amount from taxes collected from wealthy drug dealers and
criminals as they spend their ill gotten gains on their expensive
homes, cars and other goodies.

There is little incentive in Canada to have an all out war on crime
and drugs.

If the politicians in B.C. were really that concerned they would have
shown it by amalgamating the police forces, which would then have the
ability to form large and effective anti-crime and anti-drug squads,
as they have by uniting their departments in England.

We need a thorough review of police operations -- something that I
doubt has ever been done -- in B.C., preferably completed by an
outside expert, I hope from England, where they also have the
experience of dealing with terrorists.

Bob Ritchie, Qualicum Beach