Source: Toronto Star (Canada) Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Pubdate: Monday, June 29, 1998 Author: Joel Baglole FUNDS SOUGHT TO FIGHT CRIME Solicitor-general eyes budget surplus to step up attack Solicitor-General Andy Scott wants Finance Minister Paul Martin's ear. Like many federal cabinet ministers, Scott wants Martin to invest some of this year's budget surplus - estimated at $3 billion - into his ministry, which is responsible for law enforcement and public safety. Specifically, Scott wants money to boost resources in the fight against organized crime. The solicitor-general's ministry received $2.8 billion in this year's federal budget. That money covers the costs of operating departments like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Corrections Canada, the National Parole Board, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service - which together employ 37,000 people. But Scott said more money is needed. ``Law enforcement has to keep up with the advances that are being made by the bad guys,'' he told reporters yesterday, after meeting with RCMP officials in Newmarket. ``Theoretically, it makes much more sense to attack the drug (trade) at a higher level in the bad-guy chain. But that's expensive.'' Scott couldn't say exactly how expensive improving Canada's fight against organized crime will be. He's meeting with law enforcement officials and developing a strategy, to be presented in the House of Commons this fall, that will outline how to deal with organized crime, and how much money is needed to implement the strategy. ``This (consultation with RCMP) gives me the ammunition to make the case for resources,'' Scott said. ``So that I can say, here's the reality, and if we don't have enough money, we don't get to do it right.'' An estimated 18 organized crime groups are operating in Canada, ranging from biker gangs like the Hells Angels to foreign organizations such as the Russian Mafia and various Asian groups. Canada has 53,000 law enforcement officers and RCMP Inspector Garry Nichols says that's not enough to tackle organized crime properly. He said globalization has forced many organized crime groups to work together, rather than fight over territory. Canada is attractive to criminals because it's a gateway to the United States and the world's largest consumer market, Nichols said. The drug trade, in particular, is growing in Canada as more organizations use Canadian ports to smuggle drugs around the world, Nichols said. It's estimated the drug trade costs Canada $1.4 billion a year in law enforcement and health problems. Scott will have to lobby hard to persuade Martin to donate sizeable amounts of the budget surplus to him instead of to ministries such as health, Indian affairs and defence. At a two-day cabinet retreat last week, Prime Minister Jean Chretien downplayed this year's surplus, blaming the Asian crisis for slowing Canada's economic growth. He said money to the various ministries would be strained. ``Every department that had been squeezed at the time of the cuts would like to get more money,'' Chretien said. ``So there is a lot of competition among the different departments. The demands are always more than the money available.'' Still, Scott thinks he has a good case. He said developing a strategy first, and then going to Martin for money will make the government more receptive to his requests, rather than asking for money and then coming up with a plan. Scott said he also needs money to meet Canada's commitment to the $5 billion United Nations initiative, endorsed this month by 186 nations, to rid the world of opium poppies and cocca leaves (for cocaine production) by the year 2008. - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski