Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jul 2007
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352

COUNCIL ON THE RIGHT TRACK

It's refreshing to see when a good idea catches on with  municipal
councils in the North Okanagan.

This week in Enderby council gave three readings to a  property
remediation bylaw that would allow the RCMP  and bylaw officers to
close a house if it's been used  for selling drugs, a grow-op or the
making of illegal  drugs.

It's a similar bylaw that has been put to good use in  Vernon and is
now available to be used in Spallumcheen  and Lumby.

In Vernon it has been used to good effect in shutting  down 'crack
shacks' that have terrorized  neighbourhoods and threatened the
overall safety of the  community.

The bylaw gives the police the means to attack these  problems and
shows that politicians and law enforcement  can work together to
overcome the obstacles that  created so much frustration for residents
in these  neighbourhoods.

Where before people felt powerless and that authorities  were doing
nothing about the drug problem, this bylaw  is actually getting real
results that benefit peoples'  lives on a daily basis.

And that's generally all we demand of our police and  city
officials.

We also applaud that other communities are paying  attention to what's
happening in neighbouring  jurisdictions and utilizing good ideas in
the ongoing  battle against drug abuse.

Too many times we've chastised politicians for not  looking at the big
picture or being incessantly worried  about turf protecting, so it's
with pleasure we praise  all concerned.

Just as it took police and politicians working together  to get the
initial bylaw in place, it's also good old  teamwork at play making
the valley a safer place to  live.
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MAP posted-by: Derek