2 ~ Sunday, May 9, 1993 - North Shore News

7

an el

liscussion seeks

answer to teen violence

West Vancouver Women’s network sponsors forum

WEST VANCOUVER teens increasingly face assault and
intimidation from their peers, members of the West Van-
couver Women’s Network (WVWN) recently heard at a
panel discussion on teen violence.

included criminal

The panel
Elaine Ferbey,

defence lawyer
West Vancouver Police officer
Janis Maclean, youth worker
Chris Fuocco and teenager Trisha
Stark. The meetiag was chaired by
Heidi Mason.

“Intimidation is the big prob-
lem,’’ said Maclean. “West Van-
couver doesn't have an out-of-
control probiem yet, but it’s get-
ting there.

“Assaults are on the rise,
groups of kids picking on one —
and lots of intimidation.

“Even the reputation of gangs
can be enough to threaten a kid.
So power and intimidation tactics
are what works on the teens not in
a gang," she said.

Maclean said recent police re-
cords of assaults do not reflect the
root of the problem because there
has been no significant increase in
assault charges.

The public demands changes to
an ineffective system, but lawyer
Elaine Ferbey said the system
works.

“The majority of youth charged
with committing crimes are
receiving appropriate sentences
and punishments,” she said.

“What is failing the citizen, is a
backlogged courtroom-waiting list
and underfunding.

By Paula Carlson
Contributing Writer

“Tf a youth is charged today,
the earliest trial date would be in
October or November. This time
period is appalling,’’ Ferbey said.
“By this time, to a 15-year-old or
16-year-old, the trial will have
very little relation to the criminal
eveiit.

“And the youth will have been
out on bail for this entire time,
with impending sentencing
weighing on their heads. It doesn’t
help the situation,”’ she said.

The situation arises, in part,
because the judicial administrator
for the North Shore splits his time
between North Vancouver and
West Vancouver courts. He sits in
on West Vancouver two or three
days a week and sometimes only
one day a week in the summer,

Innovative programs are under-
funded and there is a long waiting
list for rehabilitative punishment.

Community hours are doled out
instead.

And the kids know it.

Chris Fuoco, manager of the
West Van Youth Outreach pro-

See Teen club page §

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