Newsstand Price S0¢ March 21, 1982 D WEST VANCOUVER Tel. 985-2131 Classified 986-6222 INCIDENTS QUADRUPLE IN A YEAR ROBBERIES SOAR AS ECONOMY SLUMPS ROBBERY is occurring in North Vancouver at four times the rate it was a year ago. Since January 1. 20 robberies have been reported to North Van RCMP. compared to just five dunng the same period last year — more than half the years total of 37 for 1981. And the alarming jump 1s due almost entirely to one age group) Youthsin the 14- 24 range are responsbile for the vast majority of local rs Pe aaron WALTING., “1% “ AND PEANNING,. Meleg from Ontarto as he watches his opponcat making his move during robberies. That trend is accompanied by an increase of violence in crime. Most local robberies are impulsive acts of youthful amateurs who see a potenual opportunity and seize it. And RCMP have found that the same impulsive nature which prompts these voungsters to rob without forethought is just as likely to cause them st. - von Tm “ah patience ts on the side of 13 year old By CHRIS LLOYD to respond violently to situations which catch them unawares. “The robbenes well planned well executed,” and RCMP detective spokesman comments: “The part that makes that dangerous 1s that the person who thinks hke that is more dangerous than a professional bank robber because he 1s impulsively are or not violent.” Cases this year show that another pattern change 1s that the majority of rob- beries are carried out at knifepoint, compared to threats of violence or by robbers implying they have guns. The sudden influx of punk crime has at least improved the RCMP success rate figures. Fifty per cent of this year srobbery cases in North Vancouver have been closed, successfully, compared to a clearance rate of only one third of last year's cases. While this may tnintally appear encouraging. the reason for the higher success rate by police is due to the criminals themselves rather than policing techniques. “There are many amateurs, comments detective spokesman. There have only been two robberies this year in North Van which have been more CONTINUED ON PAGE Al0 more the the Canadian Under-15 Chess Championship held in West Vancouver and duc to end today (Terry Peters photo! School taxes formula changes nail N. Van:A5 THE VOICE OF NORTH AN Hamilton ‘conned’ by school admin -Ree AN ACCUSATION that North Vancouver school board ad- ministrators “conned” Hamilton Junior Secondary students and parents with the board’s rationale for closing the school was levelled Wednesday by North Van Capilano MLA Angus Ree. Assistant Superintendent Pat Bell and Administrator Pat Carlile appeared before an audience of more than 100 at the school to explain why Hamilton will close effective June and students will have to transfer to Carson (Gsraham = Senior Secondary Ree maintained the two were “conning” the meeting and he was joined by con cerned and angry parents in Claiming school board of ficials had slanted in formation to make the closure oof the school oa foregone Conc fusion Many maintained that the ecoonomie reasons given fou the decision an cxapected annual saving to taxpayers of CONTINUED ON PAGE A4& SUNDAY Whatidy sueniy with doudy peru, MONDAY Sunny aod waren