PUBLIC BACKS CASINO, DOPE DOGS

Surrey Electors Team knew a month before November's election that 90 per
cent of residents approved of use of drug-detecting dogs in schools.

SET also had evidence most Surrey residents favour casinos in a
destination-type area or convention centre.

SET commissioned Winnipeg's Western Opinion Research to conduct a
40-question telephone survey of 400 residents prior to the election. The
results gave the ruling civic party a good indication of the electorate's
mood and what voters considered primary issues going into the campaign.

A summary of the results indicate crime was foremost on voters' minds in
October, with 38 per cent of respondents identifying it as their key
concern. That was followed by health care (10 per cent), education (nine
per cent), roads (seven per cent) and taxes (five per cent).

The results are considered accurate within five per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Asked if they felt it was important to spend more money for better
policing, 92 per cent of those surveyed said yes, while nine of 10
supported building a community policing station in Guildford.

SET had unveiled its "community contract on crime"--in which candidates
promised to beef up policing and build a Guildford station--two days before
the polling began. Still, party campaign manager Chris Gardner was amazed
at the level of support. "What surprised us out of the poll was the
strength of the results," Gardner said Friday.

"When you start polling 80-90 per cent on issues, that's overwhelming support."

Eighty-eight per cent of the respondents felt Surrey should allow RCMP to
conduct random patrols of city schools with drug-sniffing dogs. Other
concepts that received broad support were a "three strikes law" for auto
thieves (86 per cent); a special prosecutor for auto theft (85 per cent);
and expansion of the number of Mounties assigned to Surrey schools (81 per
cent).

The Oct. 22 survey also indicated the party would do well in the polls, as
Mayor Doug McCallum drew a significant approval rating. The poll showed
McCallum had 79 per cent of the committed vote, trailed distantly by Bob
Martin, who had 10 per cent, Julius Bekei, who had five per cent, and
Murray Weisenberger, with four per cent.

McCallum eventually won 56 per cent of the vote, taking every polling
station by a healthy margin.

"We knew Doug was a relatively popular mayor," Gardner said.

The top reasons for supporting McCallum were the addition of community
facilities, such as recreation centres (82 per cent); keeping property
taxes down (72 per cent); strong leadership (65 per cent); encouraging
economic development (65 per cent); and managing city finances (56 per cent).

"On the whole, the poll validated what we thought," Gardner said.

As to the cost of the poll, Gardner would only say the party got a good
deal from a firm looking to increase its client base.

What SET spent on the poll came from its advertising budget.