Pubdate: Sat, 18 Feb 2012
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948

RALLY OPPOSES CRIME BILL

The federal government's proposed crime bill was the topic of a 
protest in downtown Nanaimo Thursday.

About 30 people gathered in the rain to participate in a rally that 
started in Maffeo Sutton Park and ended in front of the courthouse on 
Front Street.

Many of the participants were involved with the Occupy Nanaimo 
movement, in which people camped out at Diana Krall Plaza until 
forced to remove their tents after the city sought a civil injunction.

Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, is comprised of nine 
pieces of reform legislation debated by Parliament during the 
previous session that never became law.

The bill, introduced last September, proposes a number of reforms 
including: increased penalties for sexual offences against children, 
tougher sentences for the production and possession of illicit drugs 
for the purposes of trafficking, eliminating the use of conditional 
sentences (house arrest) for serious and violent crimes, ensuring 
adult sentences are considered for young offenders charged with 
serious offences, and extending ineligibility periods for pardon applications.

Jess Anderson, 55, said the bill will worsen the current backlog in 
the court system, which is seeing increasing numbers of cases being 
dismissed due to unreasonable delay.

"My big concern is the legal process is bogging down," he said. 
"You've got cases being dropped against dealers, abuse cases being 
dropped. Even the lawyers admit the justice system needs to be 
changed. That to me is a bigger concern than how many people we can 
throw in jail."

Amanda Orum, 25, has protested the legislation since it was introduced.

While the bill is in the final stages before it becomes law, Orum 
believes the rally serves an important function in building awareness.

"All these people will remember next election what Harper did," said 
Orum, who helped organize the rally.

Orum said the solution is for the federal government to legalize 
marijuana, as opposed to toughening sentences, so that it can be 
taxed and regulated like alcohol.

"I believe the drug war should end," she said. "How many people died 
from alcohol last year? Thousands. How many died from cannabis? No one."

For Ken Hiebert, 66, the point to get across is that the bill's 
intent to get "tough on crime" won't necessarily lead to less crime, 
but giving people more job opportunities and enacting better social 
assistance policies will.

"When people have other prospects in their lives - a prospect of 
housing and employment - people are less likely to get involved in 
crime," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom