SET ON A CRIME-FIGHTING PLATFORM

Saying he and his fellow candidates are "fed up" with the city's crime rate
and auto theft problem, Mayor Doug McCallum kicked off the Surrey Electors
Team election campaign Wednesday, vowing to "draw a line in the sand" for
criminals.

Flanked by his SET running mates, McCallum introduced the party's Community
Contract on Crime -- a five-point plan to make Surrey safer.

The strategy includes building a new community police station in Guildford,
adding 60 RCMP officers to the city's force over three years, lobbying for
establishment of drug courts, cracking down on repeat auto thieves, and
fighting for a special prosecutor for auto theft.

"We want the message sent very clearly that it's not going to pay to steal
a car in Surrey," McCallum said.

The crime-fighting initiatives come about a month after the mayor
questioned figures distinguishing Surrey as North America's car theft
capital, and just weeks after he faced allegations he suppressed negative
news coming from police.

The mayor said Wednesday the recent criticism only reinforced the fact that
the city's crime problem has to be addressed immediately, and that he and
council must be more aggressive and pro-active in their approach.

He also confirmed the RCMP are free to release any information they feel
necessary.

Making the party's election platform announcement at a car dealership in
the Guildford area, the mayor pointed to the need for more police officers
on the streets and the community's role in attacking crime.

"We need to work with our community partners. Council cannot do it alone,"
he said.

He added that the five dozen new police officers is double the number
council had budgeted for in the next three years, but if the RCMP feels
they require even more officers, "we'll definitely talk about it."

As well as establishing a special auto theft prosecutor, McCallum said SET
wants to push for a three-strikes law for car thieves, so that if convicted
three times, criminals would face jail time or community service.

"And as I've said before, young offenders caught stealing cars should lose
their licence until they're 21."

While admitting auto theft has been consistently on the rise, the mayor
said the city has barely "held the line" on its drug problem -- an issue
SET believes proposed drug courts would help target.

The provincial government would be responsible for initiating
justice-related strategies such as drug courts and an auto theft prosecutor.