COLEMAN VOWS NEW MEASURES AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME

Stricter measures are coming to fight organized crime, Solicitor General
Rich Coleman told local politicians and police at a meeting recently in
Maple Ridge. But what everyone wants is stricter sentencing to deter drug
trafficking and associated crimes.

"You are all right, we are all frustrated with the criminal justice
system," Coleman said.

"The question is: how do we get the court system to recognize the needs of
our community?"

RCMP Insp. Janice Armstrong, transferred last year from Surrey RCMP, said
Lower Mainland communities are struggling with drugs.

She noted there has also been an increased level of violence related to
organized crime of late. RCMP have been focussing on drugs for the past
year, raiding marijuana grow operations and crystal meth labs.

"A large majority of grow-ops are linked to organized crime," Armstrong
said. Several raided last year had a Vietnamese gang connection. Despite
that, "a very small percentage of growers ever see the inside of a jail."

Coleman said decriminalizing marijuana would be a "huge mistake," warning
it could affect exports and entry to the U.S. Coleman said about 3,000 to
4,000 grow-ops a year are raided in the Fraser Valley. About 10,000 a year
are raided by police in Whatcom County, Washington. The difference? "They
go to jail in Whatcom County and pay a fine."

Coleman said decriminalizing marijuana would require a significant
investment in policing to fight organized crime. "And that is not in this
legislation," he said. "We are not seeing that investment from the federal
side."

Coleman expects new legislation from the provincial government this session
regarding proceeds of crime, allowing police to seize assets from criminals.

He said the provincial government also plans to develop a special
investigation unit, allowing officers to follow a case from beginning to
end. Police in B.C. have conducted separate investigations involving
members of the Hells Angels for weapons and drugs.

But, "We never go after the criminal organization," he said. "That's about
to change."