jeterre WITH the number of home invasion victims rising faster than the provincial deficit, the premier and the attor- ney general held a high- level meeting with the three most senior police officers in the province. Following the meeting. there was a photo-op with the media and a less than encour: aging statement. They hada full and trank discussion, we were told. Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions, bur it isa top priority of this government, apparently, We Can expect an announcement within two weeks, said the premicr. Las k with the two miajor television news outlets hitting the home invasion drum every night on the 6 o¢clock news, the AG, L Dosanjh, was quoted in’ fhe Pravince as saving he is deter- ed to end the rash of He talked about spending More Money to educate the public in protecting them- selves as though somehow it’s their fault if ovo thugs high On testosterone and crack and low on brains bash their way into their hom Oh yeah, he going to lobby the federal government to change some of the legislation. “I chink we do need some creative solu- tions ... some tougher penal- ties,” said Dosanjh. If this sounds vaguely familiar, it should. In May of 1997, almost nwo years azo, following the deaths of nwa elderly women, the same AG announced a comminment of $150,000 fora police home invasion ta-' force. He talked abou: doing the same things he is talking about now. . mier followed up statements by or nwo own, He was also quot- ed in The Province as saving, “The attorney-general and | crime and puaishuent | | Dehteve this is the No, bE law enforcement issue on the minds of Lower Mainland res idents right now, So important ding to Clark, the government is going to spend mones cducat ing the public. zine some money to the police and lobby the federal government for ive changes. imply pur we need tougher enforce ment, tougher senteneing.~ T think a pattern is devel- oping, [In L99@, when ma another one of those “si eant™ announcements on haw tough the NDP government is on crime, Clark said, “Phis province has led the country in urging Ottawa to protect the public trom dangerous, repeat offenders.” While the pols wattle, wringing their hands in worry, a judge in Williams La ( fark Ascording toa E04 written judgment, provincial court Judge Jakob de Villers sad the NDP government ts “mollvcoddhing caminals and undermining judzes’ sen tenes.” De Villiers sad the - refuses to monitor those given condiuonal sentences. According to the judge the ministry releases people from jail despite the specitic wish of the court that the mdividual is pucin custody and af fines are unposed, the ministry refuses to launch proceedings which could lead to jail time for peo: ple who refuse to pay their fines. In the decision the judge wrote, “itis improbable that -Coriminals) will have ta Serve anw sentence ot impris onment or be forced to pay courts impose. “This phenomena was explained to me over lunch Withoa provincial court judge whe is mired in the same trns- tration. He s. id, extreme cases Tim ve in what f can do.” “Tecan give the ACCU nothing. Or Feould give him nothing. Or in the more seri: ous cases, Dean give him “Ta all but limited aursen & Son Draperies and Blinds Ltd S.Laursen & Son Draperies and Blinds Ltd. 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