WEAK JUSTICE EQUALS RCMP TRAGEDIES

Editor:

What a terrible time for the finest police force in the world. The four
Mounties killed in Alberta is truly a tragedy. It is even more senseless
when we hear that it was all over a grow op and a chop shop.

After reading about the Alberta killings I read about a man and wife in
Mission who were acquitted because the RCMP officer failed to give them
enough time to answer their door before he executed a forced entry. The
justice ruled that a warning of one or two seconds, discounting the
testimony of the investigating officer, was insufficient. Come on Mr.
Justice...get real.

Then I read in the Times paper that a million dollar grow op case here in
Chilliwack was thrown out over a technicality. Seems the Mounties checked
out some other buildings on the property without a search warrant to check
these buildings. Tends to make me think that maybe the justice system is in
cahoots with the grow-op folks.

I know the do-gooders will be ranting about civil rights but if the
individuals are breaking the law what are the Mounties supposed to do-phone
the creeps and tell them that the RCMP is about to visit so please put all
your offensive materials away.

Then I read that Randy White, the MP from Abbotsford, is retiring. Mr White
is one of the few politicians who has the jam to slam the justice and
corrections systems for treating criminals too lightly. One can only wonder
how things would have been if the Conservatives had won the election. I bet
folks serving time wouldn't be having such a good time and those thinking of
breaking the law would be thinking twice. Too bad you're leaving Randy, you
did a fine job.

Lastly, I was in the Armed Forces serving with United Nations Protection
Force in the former Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993. We soldiers went no where
without loaded weapons, helmet and flak jacket. Our very own Mounties were
also there and they carried no weapons, wore no helmet or flak jacket. They
were there to monitor the local civilian police and what a thankless job
they had. However, because of their reputation, their intelligence, and the
respect that the locals had for them, they were able to carry out their
duties much more proficiently than any of the other civilian police there.

Whenever I visited a civilian police station and there was just one Mountie
there, that Mountie would be in charge.

I recently retired from driving school bus here in Chilliwack. Three of my
workmates were retired RCMP. We used to check the morning TV and newspapers
to see who was getting slaughtered by the media, the military or the
Mounties. Seems when one organization was getting stiffed the pressure was
off the other.

We used to just laugh and say, "You're damned if you do and damned if you
don't."

We should consider ourselves lucky that we have such a fine group of
individuals trying to do their job. Too bad the justice system doesn't
support them, the Mounties deserve it.

Tom Walton Sr.

Chilliwack