GOVT CAN DO MORE TO HELP POLICE, SAYS MP

Wild Rose has the same problems as communities across Canada - drugs,
gangs and a revolving door justice system, says Thompson

Now is the time for the federal government to step up for police
officers in Wild Rose and across the country, says Member of
Parliament Myron Thompson.

The MP spoke out on the issue, Sept. 15, following a long summer of
meeting with local residents across the constituency.

"The past summer I visited many of the RCMP detachments in Wild Rose,
including Olds, Sundre, Cochrane, Didsbury, and Banff, just to name a
few. They all reported to me that they are now facing many of the same
problems as the big cities. The rise of crystal methamphetamine use,
the spread of grow-ops and the steady rise of gang violence are just
three of the most pressing new problems affecting the safety and
health of our communities," said Thompson.

"These front-line officers told me again and again that the federal
government has got to help them. They are simply short on manpower,
they want Canada's sentencing, correction and parole systems reformed
and they want a national drug strategy," he said.

Police have been seeking changes to the system for some time, and
several issues were again raised at the Canadian Professional Police
Association's annual general meeting, Sept. 1-3 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

"Gang violence is a major problem in many of our cities, as we have
seen in recent weeks in Toronto. Canada's police officers have lost
confidence in a system that sees violent offenders regularly returned
to the streets. We need to restore some deterrence in our justice
system, which begins with stiffer sentences, real jail time, and
tougher parole eligibility policies for violent offenders," said CPPA
President Tony Cannavino. "We need stiffer minimum sentences for
offenders who commit crimes with guns, or any type of weapon."

"The CPPA will continue to advocate for a national drug strategy that
addresses the harms associated with illegal drugs," said Cannavino.
"We oppose the decriminalization of marijuana, we call for minimum
sentences for those involved in the business of grow operations, and
we need adequate training and tools in order to keep our roads safe
from drug-impaired drivers.

"Thompson has long been against both the legalization of marijuana and
in favour of mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenders."

As the Member of Parliament for Wild Rose, I was able to reassure our
local officers that their message would be delivered to Ottawa and
that a Conservative government would focus on providing adequate
funding for police officers as well as amend the Criminal Code to
provide for a more realistic approach to violent crime," said Thompson.

Coffin Sentence An Outrage

On the crime front, Thompson says last week's decision by a Quebec
Superior Court judge to let ad executive Paul Coffin serve a
conditional sentence after pleading guilty to 15 counts of fraud, is
absolutely outrageous.

"I have to ask is anyone ever going to be seriously punished for
Adscam? Paul Coffin pocketed $1.5 million for doing little or no work.
All I can conclude, is that being a Liberal Party supporter has its
privileges. In this case Mr. Coffin must obey a weekday curfew of 9
p.m. and give a few lectures on business ethics," said Thompson.

"Once again this punishment doesn't reflect the grave abuse of the
public trust. It sends a clear message that defrauding taxpayers of
millions of dollars and profiting from it is pretty much acceptable in
this country," he said.

Thompson stopped short of calling the judge's ruling biased, but says
an appeal is definitely worth while.

"The Crown is considering appealing this decision and will be asking
for a 34- month jail sentence. I would think that this would send a
better message about the severity of the crime," said Thompson, "But
with the Liberal party in charge in this country I doubt the Crown
will appeal this decision and I have my doubts we'll ever see the
Gomery report as promised."