PROVINCE PONDERING SEIZURE OF CRIME ASSETS

Those caught growing rich off crime in B.C. will soon have even more than
the police to worry about.

Legislation is in the works, Solicitor General Rich Coleman said Wednesday,
to allow the province to seize assets gained through crime, and may lead to
government officials joining police when they swoop in on marijuana-growing
operations. Moreover, once seized, Coleman said it will be up to the
suspect to prove the items were purchased with legitimately-earned income.

"When we bring (the legislation) in, when law enforcement gets a grow-op
and they take it down, our guys can go right behind them or with them and
they can seize the house, seize the bank account, seize the car and say
'OK, prove to us that all of this has been bought with legal money,'" he
told a Prince George Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Officials in the province's revenue branch already have similar powers to
deal with businesses who have failed to pay their taxes. Auditors can slap
them with a bill dating back six years, and it's up to such businesses to
prove they've already paid the money.

"It's a reverse onus on you to prove to us that you don't owe us those
taxes," Coleman said. "So why can't there be a reverse onus on organized
crime?"

Coleman said the provincial government has figured out a way, through
B.C.'s Revenue Act, to go after successful criminals and will introduce
legislation this spring to allow the civil forfeiture of the proceeds of crime.

Once in place, Coleman said assets seized will be sold and the money raised
will be reinvested in fighting crime -- a comment that drew applause from
those at the luncheon.

Given the prevalence of grow operations and the amount of drug-related
crime committed in B.C., Coleman said such legislation is necessary to get
tough on such ventures.

Coleman also highlighted the effort to give police across the province a
uniform computer and data system. Called Police Records Information
Management Environment (PRIME), Coleman said the system will allow police
to share information about criminals and crimes within minutes.

The $20-million system is currently being introduced on southern Vancouver
Island and the Lower Mainland and should be in place across the province by
the middle of next year.