‘enant as

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER

north shore

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By PAT RICH

May 21, 1980

North Vancouver District had the lowest crime
rate in the Lower Mainland .and the sixth lowest in
the province in 1979 according -to statistics
released last week by the B.C. Police Com-

mission.

But it was West Van-
couver that had the biggest
drop in the crime rate in
1979 in the Lower Mainland,

7s

RUDE SHOCK awalted Do

with more than a seven per
cent decline in the number
of crimes.

The statistics are part of

Tel. 985-2131

Classified 986-6222

the annual report of the B.C.
Police Commission outlining
crime statistics in the
province for 1979 and work
done by the police com-
mission.

Averaging the figures for
all three North Shore

municipalities, crime on the
North Shore declined two

d by ira

per cent in 1979 from 12,080
criminal code offenses to
11,839.

The average crime rate
was 91.03 per 1,000 people,
which compares favourably
with the provincial average
of 116.2

The total police strength

CONTINUED ON PAGE A4

from a weekend outing to find four trees on his property had been cut down In his absence, reportedly by a group of

neighbors. Malcolm (above) examines the pile of sawn-off trunks and branches dumped beside his yard. West Van
police are investigating. (Ellsworth Dickson photo)

By CHRIS LLOYD

guilty of assault.

The $13,400 expense
has been approved by
council, even though
Mayor Derrick Hum-
phreys says the bill was a
lot higher than he ex-

pected.
However, he com-
mented: “We, society,

have a duty to see that
justice is done in both
directions. The police
officer has to have
something to back him up
and in this case it is the
employer — which is the
public of West
couver.”

He said he did not
know what his altitude
towards payment would
be had either of the of-
ficers — Constable David
Weaving and _ Sergeant
Frank Aikenhead — been
found guilty.

Humphreys com.
mented on the role of the
police in West Van.
“They are exposed on the
pubhc behalf at all umes
of the day. They are lke a
soldier on the firing line ”

The bill represents the
charge by lawyer Len
Doust. who represented
the two officers dunng
the tmal which saw five
days of evidence before
Judge Kenneth Husband
adjourned the case to
consider his verdict. He
declared the two not

Van-

MAYOR BACKS UP POLICE

V foots
bill for
officers’
defence

West Vancouver taxpayers are footing
the bill for the defence of two local police
officers who were accused of beating up a
local youth but who were later found not

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy
with sunny periods and
isolated showers; remain-
ing cool,

THURSDAY: Remaining
unsettled and cool.

guilty when he gave a
lengthy judgement March
21.

For the two officers,
the matter had hung over
their heads since July 25,
1978, the night Robert
Logan alleged was when
he had been dragged
from his bicycle and
beaten up upon  en-
countering the two of-
ficers in Ambleside Park.

Judge Husband
eventually declared that
there were in-

consistencies in the
evidence given by Logan
and his family, whereas
other West Van police
officers gave evidence
supportive of the = ac-
cused.

The judge said he was
satisfied beyond a
reasonable doubt as to

the innocence of
Sergeant Frank
Aikenhead and that he

had = reasonable doubt
over the evidence against
Constable David
Weaving. ;

Deputy Chief Con-
stable of West Vancouver
Bob Brolly said payment
of the legal expenses by
the mumicipality was a
recommendation of the
police board.

He added that the
circumstances would

CONTINUED ON PAGE A4