MOST CANDIDATES WANT MORE POLICE

The proliferation of street racing and marijuana grow operations tops the
concerns of many residents, and most council candidates agree community
safety is one of the most pressing issues.

To address the racing issue, the solution lies in a combination of
enforcement and education, according to Richmond First candidate Everett
MacKenzie. Starting when children first enter school is key, and the
success of such programs has been borne out, he said.

"I think it's really important," he said. "You just have to look at
smoking, and drinking and driving over the last 10 years."

In the short term, hiring more police officers should be considered,
MacKenzie said, and the community should call for stiffer penalties.

"Some people would say more police officers on the street is not the
solution, but it helps," MacKenzie said.

Richmond Independent Team of Electors Coun. Sue Halsey-Brandt also supports
education as a means of building up a sense of responsibility early.

Hiring more officers may be necessary, she said, as well as spending the
money to purchase surveillance equipment, as suggested in a recent RCMP
report being considered by council.

Richmond Non-Partisan Association Katherine Kwok said parents and schools
need to educate young people about safe driving, and an outreach program to
target older youth would also be helpful.

Independent candidate Pat Young also supports education and stronger
sentences. He said the city should consider traffic circles at
intersections to interrupt the city's drag-friendly stretches.

RITE candidate Paul Winskell said police need to be provided the necessary
tools, and school liaison program should be expanded.

The emphasis for liaison officers should be on the peer pressure many youth
experience in regards to street racing, Winskell said.

The solution to the increase in marijuana grow operations in the city lies
in building stronger neighbourhoods, most candidates say. Knowing your
neighbours means also keeping an eye out for suspicious activity.

Young said leaning over the fence every once in a while to say hello would
go a long way to addressing the problem.

"It's an example of how neighbours don't communicate," he said. "If you're
going to talk about change, it starts on your street. Talk to your neighbour."

Kwok says hiring more police officers is necessary, as the city grows, to
deal with the expansion of crime.

Property managers need more freedom to do reference and credit checks on
potential tenants, Kwok said, and to inspect houses when they suspect
suspicious activity.

"I'd like to see landlords work more with the police," Kwok said.

Winskell proposes a coordinated approach, working with police, fire and
utilities to help the city enforce its bylaws. By shutting down illegal
grow-op in residential homes, this would free the RCMP to deal with the
roots of the problem, which are gang-related, he said.