6 - Friday, May 1, 1987 - North Shore News

News Viewpoint:

Tracking criminals

HE PROVINCIAL government’s plan to

launcit a pilot electronic monitoring system in

early June to keep tabs on non-violent criminals
should be applauded by all B.C. taxpayers.

The system, if successful, will continuously monitor

less serious offenders, such as those serving weekend
sentences. But the surveillance would be
thorough, offering seven-day-a-week, rather
two-day-a-week supervision.

than

more

THE VOICE OF NORTH ANDO WEST VANCOUVER
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Publisher:
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Advertising Director

Peter Speck
Noel Wright
Barrett Fisher
.Linda Stewart

North Shore News, founded 19 1969 45 an independent! suburban fewspaper and Quaided under Schedule 111, Paragrapn iE ot ihe
Leose Lae Act. 1 puteisned each Wednesday, Foay dnd Sunday by Norn Spove Free Press Lid and distibuied ta every door oO"

the Horn Shore Second Class Mad Hegistration tumter 3H85 Subserinty
dvadable On feQuest Submissnts are anlcome Dut we Cannot FLCUDT fH

North and West Vancouret, $25 per peat Mailing
ity for unsobcided maternal including Manis. 712%

and pactutes wich sheuld be accompanied by a Stumped, adaresstd haaiiaall

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a

“Entire contents %
1987 North Shore
Free Press Ltd. All
rights reserved.

An offender wears a transmitter, a receiver is plugg-
ed into the home telephone, and a computer monitors
the offenders requirement to stay home, keeping that
person confined at his own expense, while at the sarne
time allowing him to lead a productive, crime-free ex-
istence in his own environment.

With the annual cost of the B.C. correctional system
at around $130 million, the government would be wise
to ease the weight on the taxpayers’ shoulders by plac-.-
ing non-violent criminals into a more cost-efficient and
productive system. .

Oakalla prison in Burnaby will be phased out and
closed within the next decade. Two new facilities will
have to be built in its place to accommcedate full-time
violent inmates, and a third would be needed for
weekend inmates. But a facility to support part-time
inmates alone wouid cost the taxpayers approximately
$4 million to build, and $1.75 million per year to staff
and operate.

On the other hand, the electronic monitoring system
could save such a major investment, costing approx-
imately $10-a-day in maintenance, compared to $70-
a-day, per offender. While controlling offenders is

| thy

essential, easing the taxpayers’ burden is also very
| much in order.

RICK |

Man in Motion World Tour §

Noel Wright

®@ friday folktales ®

ALL LIMBERED UP yet, you
Tiddlycovians, for West Van's big
Walkathon tomorrow and Sunday
in support of Man in Motion: Rick
Hansen? - |

Start any time between 10 a.m.
and 4 p.m. each day at any of the
three checkpoints — Seawalk en-
trances at 24th and 19th St., and
the 13th St. entrance to Ambleside
Park. They'll stamp your entry-
and-piedge form and off you trot
with it, east or west, on your first
lap to the next checkpoint.

If you missed clipping the form
from last Sunday’s or Wednes-
day’s North Shore News, they'll
have a limited supply at the check-
points. But clip one from the paper
if you can, in case they run out.

‘prizes (a year’s free pass to the

Aquatic Centre or the equivalent in
other free Rec Centre or Seniors
Centre programs) for the under-50
and over-50 Walkathoner clocking
up the greatest number of laps and
collecting the pledges for them.

Even if you’re not competing,
bring at least a buck in your
pocket for the voluntary ‘‘toll’’
both days for all Scawalk users.
Tax receipts issued for donations
of $5 upward. And remember to
pick up your yellow ribbon from
Safeway, Esso or Speedy Auto
Glass. .

Nine years ago, recalls
Walkathon organizer Ald. Pat
Boname, Rick and his volleyball

“team enlivened West Van’s Com-

And remember those valuable

Suites phase-out
imeans hardship for
working citizens

munity Day frolics. This weekend,

she says, is the time to show him
West Van remembers, admires his
incredible achievement and
understands its double goal: to
make us aware of the problems —
and potential — of the disabled as
well as raise funds to help them.

POSTSCRIPTS: No dunces at
fund raising, incidentally, are
Sutherland Secondary ~ students.
Their recent -raffle to provide
uniforms, trips and other expenses
for the school band neited a cool
$1,200, with donated prizes of a
computer from Commodore
Canada won by Blaine Scott, a
Walkman radio-cassette from
Krazy Krazy won by Gavin Oliver
anda $20 gift certificate from
Woolco won by Janet Tupper.
Way to go, guys! ... Tune to Shaw
Cable, Channel 4, Monday (May
4) at 4 p.m. if you haven’t yet
decided whether you want to bring
the noose back. Our North Shore
community TV is carrying, live
from Toronto, a debate starring
one of B.C.’s top capital punish-
ment advocates, Attorney General
Brian Smith, no less, teamed with
Peterborough MP Bill Domm
against abolitionist criminal law-
yers Edward Greenspan and Earl
Levy. With Peter Gzowski
moderating, it should be a lively
hour of tube fare ... And the newly
elected treasurer of the Vancouver
YWCA is North Van's Katherine
Clendenan, Chartered Accountant
and former assistant treasurer with
Versatile Corporation until leaving
last year to become a full-time

Dear Editor:

I am the owner of a house with
an illegal suite. I find myself com-
pelled to write regarding the new
bylaw amendment being brought
in against illegal suites.

I bought my house in the district
in October 1983 with a suite
already in the house. This was the
only way I could afford a mor-
tgage, being a first time home
buyer. I chose to live here as I
work in the area. The district at
the time chose to ignore illegal
suites.

I provide my tenant with off-
street parking, safe, comfortable
and affordable housing, my rent
being cheaper than an apartment.
My tenant also works in the area

homemaker (she’s presently expec-
ting her second child). Active in
the Professional Women’s
Association of Vancouver, she’s
been a YWCA director of 15 mon-
ths.

WRIGHT’ OR WRONG: The
trouble with women who want to
be equal to men is that they lack
ambition.

Pas “4 “oe
NEWS photo Stuart Davis

MUSIC BOOSTERS rewarded...winners of the Sutherland schoo! band
raffle, Blaine Scott (I), Gavin Oliver and Janet Tupper display their

prizes.

and chose a suite for the conve-
nience and privacy that a suite of-
fers.

Now Ald. Crist states North
Vancouver District will be like a
slum and we’ll be living in holes
like in Hong Kong. There may be a
minority of suites that fit this
description but most suite owners
like myself keep them well main-
tained and safe. He also states not
everyone can live in North Van-
couver. That’s the way it is. Are
we now going to turn North Van-
couver into an elitist community
where only the rich can afford to
buy housing, given the housing
prices in the district?

The council states owners will
have to pay an inspection fee of
$750-$1,000 and phase out our

suites in five years. If 1 had that
kind of money I wouldn't need a
suite and after 5 years what am I
supposed to do? Am I to sell my
hause and move to Surrey where
there is affordable housing and
pay the provincial government’s
real estate tax?

In order to comply with these
rules there will be an exodus of
people to outlying areas or people
defying the Jaw, hoping they don’t
get caught. What other choice do
we have?

I urge council to take another
look at the situation and consider
the hardship they will be imposing
on us not-so-rich, ordinary work-
ing people who want to live here.
Name withheld
by request