ANTI-HOOKER MARCHERS GET SHOES READY

Frustrated Newton residents are planning to renew protest marches to stop
hookers from strolling the King George Highway area.

Despite tougher motel regulations and the creation of an RCMP unit to deal
with the prostitution problem, hookers are back in even greater numbers,
said resident and community activist Linda Tylor.

"It's just gotten to the point where it's absolutely ridiculous again and
within a week there's been a body dumped in our neighbourhood and somebody
else killed," said Tylor.

Last year, residents living along and near a stretch of King George Highway
began protest marches calling on the city to stop hookers and drug dealers
from taking over their neighbourhood. The March Group stopped after the
problem seemed to subside. But now the group is planning to renew
demonstrations within the next few weeks.

"The only way we are going to get any action out of these guys is to march
again and go back to city council and be in their faces, because as soon as
you back off, the problem goes right back," said Tylor.

One of the big reasons for the problem is that several motels and at least
two King George trailer parks are openly allowing prostitution activity to
take place, said Tylor.

"It's all about money to the people who own those and as long as they rent
out their spots they couldn't care less what kind of scuzballs they're
bringing into the neighbourhood," she said.

Earlier this month, Victoria granted a Surrey city council request to hire
up to 60 new auxiliary police officers to give the auxiliary force a
maximum compliment of 100.

Coun. Dianne Watts, who chairs the public safety committee, noted the
auxiliaries will not be used to tackle the drug and prostitution issue but
will be directed toward education and crime prevention initiatives.