CURE DRUG PROBLEM, CURE CRIME PROBLEM

It's been just over two years since the Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver
opened its doors, and by all accounts, it's been a success, both at
rehabilitating addicts and reducing that city's crime rate.

Surrey council has begun entertaining the idea of establishing a similar
court here to deal with the city's burgeoning problems with drugs and
drug-related crime.

A forum on auto crime last week was told that most of the stolen car
epidemic revolves around drug activity and other crime. That same day, the
city reeled from news that a driver with a stolen vehicle crashed into
another car and put a family in hospital.

While it remains to be seen if a drug court would have been applicable in
this case, it certainly is in many other cases currently before the courts.
To participate in a drug court, an accused must plead guilty and agree to
undergo treatment and services necessary to kick their habit and change
their lifestyle.

A Surrey drug court would also have to accommodate youth - something not
done in the Vancouver court.

This city's Drug-Crime Task Force has focused in large part on prevention.
Prevention is great - and necessary, and so is rehabilitation.

It's the only way to reduce the crime associated with drug addiction and to
reduce the horrific costs to the victims of that crime, be it property or
personal damage.

If a drug court gets drug addicts off their poisons and away from their
lives of crime, let's get on with establishing one here and processing
people through the system.

If cost is the only prohibitive factor, think of what not being proactive
costs.