WHERE ECONOMY IS CONCERNED, CRIME PAYS

Last week's announcement that Surrey RCMP received 20 new officers, with 55
more to come, to help out in the city's ongoing war against marijuana
growing operations is excellent news - for the economy. That's 75 new jobs
for Surrey.

The new officers probably won't put much of a dent in the illegal drug
trade, not when the courts are lenient, the drug trade itself is massive
and the policy of combating drugs through police actions is self-defeating
in a Vietnam kind of way.

But the hiring of these new officers is evidence in favour of a suggestion
a friend of mine made last weekend that crime, particularly involving
property, is good for the economy. It creates jobs. More crime means more
police must be hired to fight crime. More cops working in a city means a
lot more doughnuts will be purchased.

Some will argue that more cops are an economic drain because their salary
must be paid from taxes. But crime creates far more jobs in the private
sector. Thieves steal goods, such as cars and home electronics, that must
be replaced. Assuming a business or homeowner is insured, they spend money
to buy new goods. Retailers benefit from these purchases, as do
manufacturers and wholesalers because new Hondas and Sonys must be made to
keep up with the demand. Theft is a way to stimulate spending that might
not otherwise occur, and spending is what drives the economy.

Take my stereo, force me to buy a new one.

The original stolen goods circulate on the black market, usually for a
cheaper price and without the burden of sales taxes, meaning purchasers
seeking bargains have an opportunity to buy products they otherwise might
not afford.

Even the threat of crime is economically positive, as property owners buy
alarms, locks, bars and guard dogs, all of which create opportunities for
businesses to provide these goods. Most banks now have security guards, and
this is good. If banks aren't going to give us good interest rates on
savings while at the same time giving us lousy service, at least they can
create a few new jobs.

I'm not suggesting the slogan, Help Surrey's Economy: Hot Wire a Volvo. Nor
should Mayor Doug McCallum set up a ribbon-cutting and photo op at the
latest home break-in. Crime does deal out costs to victims, not the least
of all the emotional trauma involved.

But perhaps one of the reasons why we accept property crime so casually
might be because we as a society sense its economic benefit, however
twisted the source of that benefit might be.

How else to explain the casual manner in which the provincial government
intends to kick thousands of people off the welfare rolls next year? Unless
they can all get jobs in call centres, some of them will turn to crime,
which of course will mean stimulated economic activity.

The increasing number of poor people who will get involved in crime as
welfare shrinks aren't stupid. Premier Campbell tells them to go out and
find work. They will be breaking into homes and stealing cars. They know a
good business opportunity when they see it.