 
Crime Prevention Starts At The Top By Frank Fourchalk
How safe and secure do you feel? The fact that Surrey streets have been riddled with gunfire these days has perked the attention of many citizens.
Radio, television and newspapers are buzzing with every gunshot that rings through the streets, and rightfully so. It doesn't matter what kind of spin you put on the problem, it boils down to three key issues, more resources, tougher laws and stiffer sentences.
Criminal law is under federal jurisdiction, however the administration of justice is the responsibility of each individual province (with the exception of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut). This is why the vast majority of Crown Council are employed by Canada's ten provinces.
A weakness in our judicial system as I see it is the fact that Crown Attorneys don't have to answer to the electorate. If these were elected positions Crown Council would certainly take a harsher stance when prosecuting criminals.
I realize we don't currently have the resources to tackle gang problems in our communities. So what else is new? We don't have the resources to tackle theft, graffiti or internet crime either. We not only need more police officers, we need more Crown Attorneys as well. However what we don't need are more bleeding hearts sitting on the benches of our court rooms.
Let's quit trying to solve the problem from the bottom up. Crime Prevention starts at the top. The only way we are going to make a difference in crime stats is to hand out stiffer sentences. So why isn't this happening? Why are murderers walking our streets? Why are prolific car thieves constantly scouting new inventory? Why are burglars and drunks cruising the streets of our community? The answer is obvious, a weak judicial system.
I feel for our police officers to-day. For the most part, they are hard working dedicated individuals who put their lives on the line for the safety of our communities. Imagine how frustrating it would be to spend hours if not days preparing documents as evidence on a criminal case in exchange for a light sentence or worse yet freedom for the accused.
We need to elect our judges. They need to be accountable for the decisions they are handing out. It judges had to answer for weak sentences, you would see a drastic change in crime stats.
I'm tired of hearing buzz phrases, like "symptoms of crime" or "root of crime". Let's quit dancing the issue and do something about it. Less talk and more action. We can obviously create more strategies and initiatives but if we can't put our criminals behind bars they're not worth the paper they're printed on.
I applaud Dianne Watt's dedication in her fight against crime in the city of Surrey, but there's only so much she can do without help from above. It's time for the Premier, Attorney-general and the Solicitor General to step up to the plate and toughen the laws so we can feel safe on our streets again.
Upload date:
March 31, 2009 8:58 AM
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