10 - Friday, October 3, Former RCMP h s the Law ‘an ass’ call “THE LAW is an ass" and allows 1986 - North Share News murderers to eheat justice, a retired RCMP superintendent says. Bruce Northorp, speaking Wed- nesday at a dinner meeting of the North Shore Business and Profes- sional Women's Club, told the assembled crowd that while he did not relish the thought of someone being executed, he felt the death penalty was necessary in some cases, “Is LO years in) prison even- handed justice for perverts like Darren Kelly who murdered tittle Jenny May?" he asked the au- dience of 33 woman. The 33-year RCMP veteran pointed to a 1985 article in Let's Talk, a magazine published by the Correctional Institute of Canada, that said the murder rate had declined since capital punishment was abolished in 1976. That is true, but not complete, he said. DEATH PENALTY Northorp charged that abolition of the death penalty actually began in 1957, when the number of commuted death sentences exceed- ed the number of executions. And in 1962, he went -on, capital punishment was effectively eliminated when the country’ s last hangings took place in a Toronto jail. He added that in 1967 the death penalty was abolished for all but killers of policemen and prison guards — killings that amounted to less than one per cent of Canada’s murder rate. “From then the death penalty was abolished 99 per cent because 100,000 people. IN BARRINGTON News Reporter (almost) no one could be ecuted,"' he said. And between the years of 1967 and (976 the country’s murder rate shot up) from 1.5 murders per 100,000 peaple to over 2.8 murders per 100,000 people, said Northorp,. From 1976 to 1983 the rate decreased to 2.53 murders pet eN- RETIRED RCMP Superintendent Bruce Northorp. Northorp said the public must be on the alert for so-called reform legislation that will make it easier for murderers to escape justice. He pointed to the Young Offenders’ Act and said: ‘‘What a difference a day makes."" Northorp noted the Aug. 3, 1984, case in which a 17-year-old youth brutally murdered a 54- year-old) man in’ Vancouver’s eadman Gastown Grea, Reading from a newspaper headline, he told the audéence the sentence: three years in jail with possibility for parole in six months, “Uf he had been I8 (years old) he would have gotten a life sentence with no parole for 10 years,"” he said. “But if he’s a day short of 18 (years old) the maximum sentence is three years.”" Northorp said the new Charter of Rights and Freedoins punishes police when technicalities deny them convictions, ‘but we are punishing ourselves by letting the criminals go free." REVENGE When relatives of murder vie- tims support the death penalty, he suid, they do so not out of revenge but out of an effort to prevent others from going through the same trauma. “T have no doubt the death penalty would not deter some murderers,"’ he said noting the re- cent incident in North Vancouver where Ron Pryce killed his children and then turned the gun on himself. Questioned later by the News, Northorp said that there had never been a proven case in Canada where an innocent man had been hanged. One of the arguments against the death penalty is that an innocent man could be wrongly executed. “1 don’t think that is any dif- ferent from the innocent victims who are being killed,’’ he said. ‘‘I think a just penalty for a cold- blooded killer is the death penal- ” B.C. & Yukon Blanket Classifieds The Blanket Classtheds of the BC. & Yukon Community Newsp: spers Association allow you to place the same classified ad in more than 75 newspapers covenng Nearly every suburban and rural market from Vancouver to Whitehorse Make one phone call Call the News Classifted Department, we will explain how the system works, and then place your ad in the B.C YC N A. newspapers, which reach 840,000 households and over 2 million readers. Only $119 fer 25 words Your pay just once for your ad in more than 75 newspapers. For more than 25 words there is an additional charge of $3.00 per ward. For convenience use VISA, Mastercard or American Express. B.C. & YUKON BLANKET scxenn. 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