10 - Sunday, October 17, 1993 - North Shore News

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“INQUI

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RING REPORTER

A CRIMINAL is a criminal is a criminal — except when
he or she is under the age of 18. Then the criminal is a
young offender. During 2 recent one-week period, these
juwbreakers included the young offender who escaped
from a Burnaby minimum security prison and raped a
Surrey woman, the three young offenders who beat a
Carson Graham student with a metal pipe, the two
young offenders: who smashed in the face of a Burnaby
postal worker, and the young offender who caused the

death of a Calgary police officer. Last week North Van-
couver City councillor Rod Clark eriiicized the Young
Offenders Act (YOA), saying that members of the com-
munity sce if as a major coniributor (o youth violence,
Although the YOA serves an important purpose when
applied to juvenile delinquency, typical youth crime is no
tonger limited to vandalism, theft, and drug and alcohol
offences — it increasingly includes assault, rape and even
murder. This week, the Inquiring Reporter asks:

is the Young Offenders Act too lenient with violent youths?

v3
Molly Sumner .

Sebastian Buras

West Vancouver

Yes. Absolving a criminal
of responsibility simply
because of their age
begins to interfere with
society’s right to live
peacefully without the
threat of violent crime. A
violent person is _ still
substantially dangerous
regardless of how ald
they are,

Carolyn Christianson
Kitsilano

Yes. It is not enough of a
deterrent when youths
are_re-offending. The
public doesn’t have ac-
cess to information about
offences committed by
young offenders and that
can be dangerous in light
of a recent case.. They
need to re-evaluate it and
legislate stricter, laws.

Darren Radtke

North Vancouver

While people need to be
held accountable for their
actions, I don’t feel it’s
necessary for their names
to be released. It doesn’t
mzke them any more or
less guilty. But I also feel
that the punishment
should fit the crime, not
the age of the offender.

Ed Duplissie

North Vancouver

[ suppose the knee-jerk
reaction would be yes.
Maybe it’s because I’m
getting older, but. it
seems to me that a lot of
young people don’t have
any respect for the law or
Other people’s posses-
sions, and we all have to
pay for it.

North Vancouver .
Yes, 1 certainly do think
it’s too lenient. I listen to
the news quite a bit and
it’s just getting worse.
Now ‘they’re carrying
guns. A few nights ago
there were some youths
who shot at a house in
Burnaby. It’s frightening
because they're getting
away with it. a

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SURVEY TEAM:

OPINION — KNOW
1% 11%
3% 5%
5% 14%
se 18%

Horseshoe Bay
Dundarave/Ambleside
British Properties
Norgate/Pemberton Heights
Capilano/Deibrook Highlands
Lower Lonsdale
Central & Upper Lonsdale
Lynn Valley
___Blueridge/Deep Cove

TOTAL

78% 4%
-90%

92%

88%

84%

86%

The North Shore News survey team called 446 North
veces B5,9%

_and West Vancouver residents to find out if you believe
“the Young Offenders Act is too lenient with youths who
“commit - violent crimes.

2.5% 3.8% 7.8%

__ The North Shore Community is Invited to the

Grand Opening
| of the New
Capilano College —
Library

_ Thursday, Ocfober 21

f.,

Choose from a wide variety
of Mini, Micro und

Vertical blinds from our
WINDOWWEAR collection.

| WINDG');21;30|

~ 4:00 p.ri. —
See College program displays

ew to the Future

— 5:30 p.m. —
. Grand Opening
Ceremony

]

. FULL HOUSE BEAL
~ Ask about the additional savings on custom
blind orders for 8 windows or more.

a V.

Tours of the Library
to follow

Education

Free Parking

WORTH VANCOUVER
1226 Marine Drive

984-4407

WEST VANCOUVER

925-3655 q ax Capilano

@ gx College
2055 Purcell Way « North Vancouver
Take Upper Levels Highway Exit 22

CONTOUR

SRG