Pubdate: Thu, 08 Nov 2007
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Jonathan Fowlie

DAY INSISTS CRIME PACKAGE WOULD REDUCE GANG VIOLENCE

Mandatory Jail Terms For Gun Crimes Heads List

VICTORIA -- B.C. could see an immediate reduction in the level of 
gang violence if a proposed new federal crime package becomes law, 
federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said on Wednesday.

"A lot of the gang activity, especially the young men who are 
involved in this, have no fear of the consequences of committing a 
crime with a firearm because they know under the system right now 
they might not even have to go to jail," Day said in an interview.

"By bringing in legislation that would require mandatory jail term 
for crimes with firearms, it sends an immediate signal right out to 
the street that we are getting serious with this type of thing," he 
added, saying the Conservative government's proposed Tackling Crime 
Bill would also allow greater punishment for repeat offenders. "It 
would have immediate effect right down to the street level," he said.

Day accused opposition parties of stalling the legislation, and said 
his minority government plans to stake its mandate on the issue and 
make the vote on the collection of five related bills a vote of confidence.

"We're tired of MPs who go back to their home ridings and they talk a 
tough game when it comes to crime and they go back to Ottawa and they 
vote against these tough crime measures," he said, adding the vote is 
expected to happen before Christmas.

"It is time for these MPs to stand and be counted and get this type 
of legislation through."

Liberal public safety critic Ujjal Dosanjh, who represents Vancouver 
South, said Wednesday the Liberals are more than willing to support 
the Conservative crime package, meaning it could become law before 
the end of the year.

Dosanjh denied that opposition parties have been delaying the crime 
bills. "There were some concerns we expressed on these issues and 
they have dealt with those concerns in the Tackling Crime Bill and 
therefore it is not an issue," he said.

"We have indicated we support them in the current form."

But Dosanjh said it will take more than just new laws to solve B.C.'s 
gang-violence problems.

"If the toughest laws could prevent crime from happening, the 26 
states in the United States of America that have the death penalty 
would have no murders," he said.

Dosanjh said there needs to be proper treatment for drug-dependent 
offenders, proper rehabilitation and other programs that address the 
core issues.

"This government is not doing anything at that end of the spectrum," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Vancouver Wednesday, also 
connected the recent spate of apparently gang-related murders in the 
Lower Mainland to the Conservatives' urgency in bringing in a new 
Tackling Violent Crime Act.

"I tell you, the public does not have the time to take a year or two 
to pass the simplest criminal justice measure," he said. "It is clear 
what we have to do, at least, on toughening the criminal justice 
system, and we've got to get on with doing it. A minority government 
is no excuse for not doing it."

Day said the most significant aspects of the Tackling Crime Bill are 
mandatory jail time for any crime involving a gun and stronger 
minimum sentences for gun-related crimes. It also calls for 
dangerous-offender designations to be applied after three convictions 
for a range of crimes, urine tests for drivers suspected to be under 
the influence of drugs and an increase in the age of sexual consent 
to 16 from 14 years.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman