Pubdate: Tue, 27 Feb 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 THE SUCCESS OF SURREY'S ANTI-CRIME PLAN SHOULD BE JUDGED ON ITS RESULTS Criminology professor Darryl Plecas, who advised Surrey Mayor Diane Watts on her city's new Crime Reduction Strategy, predicted that the program could produce a 25-per-cent reduction in crime "over the next couple of years." That would be an extraordinary accomplishment if the University College of the Fraser Valley professor is right, but we'll have to wait to see if the program lives up to its advance billing. Indeed, the most striking thing about the program thus far is the rhetoric that accompanied the announcement of the strategy. In a press release, for example, Surrey describes the program as a "complete paradigm shift from what is currently being done in Canadian municipalities to combat crime." Now people are naturally skeptical when they hear overblown rhetoric from politicians, and in this case a healthy dose of skepticism is certainly advisable. After all, many of the elements of the crime reduction strategy, which is modeled on one that has realized some success in Britain, already exist or have been tried, in other cities. For example, the strategy calls for the implementation of closed circuit cameras, a practice that received much attention in Britain after the subway bombings in July 2005, and which has also been discussed in Vancouver. Surrey also plans to establish a model for a community court system, which has been implemented in many jurisdictions. In fact, Vancouver has operated drug courts for a number of years. Another proposal involves the provision of more social housing, including adding 300 affordable housing beds by 2008. Affordable housing has, of course, been the subject of much discussion in Vancouver, with Mayor Sam Sullivan's Project Civil City promising an increase in the number of social housing units. Similarly, although the strategy doesn't make an explicit call for more addiction treatment, as many jurisdictions including Vancouver have called for, it does suggest that community drug action teams be established to help vulnerable people access social services. Although these proposals are nothing new, some elements of the strategy are more innovative. Rather than simply proposing stiffer sentences for offenders, which is a popular approach currently, the strategy does aim at attacking the root causes of crime. It also emphasizes coordination among various agencies, and this is particularly important since many government strategies falter and fail because one agency doesn't know what another is doing. The program's plan to follow prolific offenders through the justice system to ensure they receive appropriate sentences is worthwhile, as is the proposal to establish a community justice resource team to ensure that offenders receive appropriate treatment. Finally, the plan calls for an evaluation of the strategy to see what's working and what isn't, and to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that its aims are realized. Of course, it will be some time before we know if the strategy's ultimate aim -- a significant reduction in Surrey's crime rate -- is realized, and that will be the real measure of the program's success. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek