OFFICERS KILLED BY DANGEROUS OFFENDER, NOT GROW OPS

There's a need - both natural and compelling - that drives us to ask "why"
a tragedy happens, as RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli expressed in
his recent speech at the national memorial service for four murdered Mounties.

As Zaccardelli said, there's danger in moving too quickly and in avoiding
the imperative of response.

In the days following the terrible shootings on an Alberta farm, increased
attention has been focused on marijuana grow operations.

Consts. Peter Schiemann, Anthony Gordon, Leo Johnston and Brock Myrol were
gunned down as they kept watch over an investigation site, the property of
Jim Roszko, where a grow operation had been uncovered.

Initially, Zaccardelli himself condemned that operation as the root cause
for the deaths. He later said his comments might have been inappropriate
since the full details were not known about the tragedy. "None of these are
simple issues," he conceded.

Now, federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler is facing pressure to impose
minimum sentences for marijuana grow operation owners.

To his credit, Cotler argued studies show minimum sentences do not provide
an effective deterrent.

And is it likely the threat of a stiffer sentence would have stopped one
Jim Roszko from slaughtering men of the law?

The facts that have been revealed - and certainly not all have been, nor
may ever be -echo a resounding no.

As other observers have pointed out, the investigation did not begin with a
tip about a grow operation.

Instead, the RCMP was called that day to assist bailiffs who went to
Roszko's property to repossess a pickup truck.

Roszko reportedly said "F--- off," before roaring across a field in his truck.

Which brings us to Roszko himself, a man known for hating cops, for
shooting warning shots to shoo people away from his property and for a past
full of violence and guns; a man whose criminal record included sexual
assault and who had faced charges (but not convictions) the likes of
illegal confinement and counselling to murder.

When he gunned down the four officers, he was bound by a court order not to
possess weapons.

Grow operator or not, it seems unlikely he would have feared the specter of
a few more months in the slammer.

Instead it was the community - and even some members of his family - who
feared him.

Grow ops may be a topic for another debate. But the real questions here are
what could have been done to better protect the officers; why the justice
system failed to prevent Roszko from having guns; and why four men had to
die for us to recognize our powerlessness to deal with dangerous offenders.