CRACK DOWN ON CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES IN WORKS

Act Introduced To Allow Residents To Report Crack Houses,
Brothels

Nova Scotia wants to get tough on crack houses, brothels and illegal
clubs.

On Thursday, Justice Minister Michael Baker introduced the Safer
Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, which would allow residents to
lodge a complaint about illegal activities - such as illegal liquor
sales, drug dealing or use, prostitution and illegal gambling - at a
property and prompt an investigation.

The bill also makes it easier for inspectors to get permission to go
inside buildings fortified with bullet-proof doors and windows, metal
plating and other measures to hide illegal activities. Mr. Baker gave
the former clubhouse of the Hells Angels in Fairview as an example.

"While we do believe that property owners do have very legitimate
rights, no one has the right to create a drug haven on their
property," Mr. Baker said at Province House. "No one has the right to
create a fortified building . designed to carry out illegal activity."

Although the proposed legislation has been tabled, it won't be voted
on this fall. Mr. Baker said the province will take the winter to
consult police, municipalities, property owners and others about the
bill.

According to the bill, if a court feels there is a serious and
immediate threat to public safety, it can close the property
immediately and keep it shut for up to 90 days. The court can also
order individuals to stay away from the building and hold owners
liable for any costs involved in closing the property. Someone caught
trying to sell a property under an existing community safety order
would face a fine up to $20,000.

RCMP Supt. Reg Reeves said his force supports any legislation that
makes neighbourhoods safer. He said the Tories' bill could help them
solve some problems quicker.

"Sometimes communities are frustrated with those particular issues,"
he said. "It takes quite a while to work through the criminal justice
system."

NDP justice critic Kevin Deveaux said the Tory plan looks a lot like
the legislation his party tabled earlier this session. He said the NDP
bill didn 't include fortified buildings but did talk about shutting
down houses used for child pornography or child abuse.

Mr. Deveaux questioned whether the justice minister will deal with the
bill in the spring/

"If (Mr. Baker's) willing to introduce this in the spring, we're more
than prepared to support this, but the one thing the minister's not
going to be able to do is stand up and say that he's the toughest guy
on crime."

Liberal justice critic Michel Samson said his party also drafted
similar legislation but didn't bother presenting it since the other
two parties already introduced theirs.

He said he's surprised the government chose the last day of the fall
sitting to bring in its bill.

"I think today was a day to try and put a positive spin on what
government is trying to do and having the Mounties and Halifax police
here was a way of trying to deal with some of the damage dealt to the
government on their off-highway bill," Mr. Samson said.