POLICE WILL NEED HELP TO CURB CRIME IN CORE

Street thefts: Statistics discouraging Hamilton Police Chief Ken Robertson
declared his department's war on drugs three years ago, saying in February
1999 that use of crack cocaine was driving a surge in violent muggings in
the city. Two months later, police said 22 crack houses had been shut down
and almost $30,000 worth of drugs (not all of it crack) seized.

A year ago, the chief said there was a new surge of muggings and purse
snatchings (numbers of both were up in 2000); said police would again crack
down on violent street crimes; and insisted that, despite increased robbery
figures, he was not losing the battle against crack cocaine.

This week, Hamilton's 2001 crime figures came out: Muggings and purse
snatchings are up again, from 318 in 2000 to 338 last year. Once again,
Robertson cites a direct relationship between drugs and street robbery.

Street crime's damage to the community is appalling -- to our citizens, to
our social fabric, and to Hamilton's image as a safe place to live and
work. Most pervasive is the perception that Hamilton's core, where street
crime is concentrated, is unsafe. We don't believe that: Downtown is
overwhelmingly safe, particularly during the day. But the downtown mugging
of a young figure skater, in Hamilton for the national championships in
January, did nothing to make Hamiltonians, or visitors, feel safe in the
heart of the city.

Deputy Chief Brian Mullan said then that police had made progress reducing
crime over the past six months. "It's better than it used to be," he said.

Unfortunately, the crime figures released this week simply don't bear him
out. The raw fact is that last year, more people were robbed on Hamilton's
streets, and more people had their homes broken into or cars stolen. In
2000, property crimes were at an all-time low; last year, they rebounded by
8.4 per cent. Street crime in Hamilton, as we noted, is continuing upwards.

Robertson insists on the causal relationship between crack cocaine and
street crime. He may very well be right, but the police service's
three-year war on the one has not in fact resulted in any reduction of the
other.

Now, he says a new strategy will focus on the root causes of drug-related
crime, looking for longer-term results. That, he says, will require the
department to "balance our resources," an act of high-wire proportions.
Break-ins and car thefts, the crimes that touch people most often, rose 15
and 17 per cent last year and need increased attention. "Robbing Peter to
pay Paul" is not an option (let alone a good metaphor) for a police service.

Robertson's new strategy sounds hopeful, although it is the early days yet.
Certainly some diversion of resources is appropriate. Curbing street crime
in Hamilton is essential and should be a police and public priority.

What is clear now is that the police cannot do it alone.

Political and public support -- including pressing ahead with downtown
renewal -- has to be part of any effort to turn the corner on Hamilton's
crime rates.