GET TOUGH ON DRUGS, COPS URGE

Kelowna RCMP want tougher sentences for drug traffickers, and they're
thinking of asking for volunteers to track the kind of punishment - or lack
of it - judges are handing out

Supt. Bill McKinnon said the detachment is thinking of setting up a "court
watch program" that would see volunteers keeping an eye on sentences and
providing that data to the media

"There needs to be a change in the mindset of judges," said McKinnon.
"Politicians don't control judges, the police don't control judges. There
needs to be a public outcry over what is acceptable

"When we arrest a trafficker and seize kilos of cocaine, we would like to
see prison time (over two years)," said McKinnon. "That doesn't happen very
often." He said that in 2001, 16 juveniles convicted of trafficking were
sentenced to "secured custody" for an average of only five days. Of adults,
39 per cent convicted of trafficking received no jail terms. For those who
did go to jail, 56 per cent got less than three months

The court watch program is in place in Powell River, where results of the
cases are posted on the website prcourtwatch.com. The detachment adopted
the program because of a large number of break-ins that had residents
confused and upset

"The results have been excellent," said Const. Carl McIntosh of the Powell
River detachment. "The criminal element doesn't want to be known, but now
they have to face the community

"Sometimes scrutiny is an effective crime-prevention tool." McIntosh said
he didn't think any of the judges had a problem with also being placed
under scrutiny. "One of the judges told a court watch person that if people
wanted more criminals in jail, they need to build him more jails," said
McIntosh. "It's not necessarily just a problem of soft sentences from
judges." The Four Pillars Coalition recommended stiffer sentences in its
report to Kelowna city council Monday. The coalition also suggested that
people under the influence of drugs be detained for up to 72 hours. Current
legislation allows for a maximum detention of 24 hours without a charge,
but that often isn't enough time for someone on crystal meth to sober up

"Some of them are still zonked after 24 hours," said McKinnon

But as with the Powell River experience, McKinnon said the detachment would
likely need more cells to implement a program of so-called preventive detention

"Overcrowding is another issue," said McKinnon. "We keep getting weekenders
in the cells. I'm in discussion with court services to see if some other
method can be used, such as home arrest bracelets." He said there are 10-20
drugged people locked up on an average night. The jail can house 50.