Pubdate: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 Source: Peace Arch News (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Peace Arch News Contact: http://www.peacearchnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1333 Author: Dan Ferguson HOMICIDE RATE RISES The number of Surrey murder and manslaughter cases is the highest it's been since 2001, the year the city set an all-time record with 18 homicides. As of Friday, 20 homicide cases had been recorded, but one relates to a 2004 incident and two deaths have not yet been confirmed as murders. That leaves 17 cases in 11 months, a worrisome number as far as Staff Sgt. Brian Cantera, an investigator with the regional Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, is concerned. "There's clearly a spike," Cantera said Friday. He said a substantial number of Surrey homicides were drug-related, with meth manufacturers and marijuana growers becoming increasingly violent. "There's so much money involved ... and firearms are readily available." Cantera said getting a grip on the drug trade might help reduce the murder rate. "In a perfect world, our drug laws would be tougher. But we're going the other way." He said investigators would like to see laws that make it easier to go after dealers by getting phone records faster and making it simpler to seize proceeds of crime. Figures show Surrey accounted for the largest portion of homicide cases under investigation by IHIT this year, between a third and a quarter of the unit's caseload. The regional force is made up of officers from most Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley communities, with the exception of Delta and Vancouver. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPF Florida)