Abbotsford Police have dealt with five murders so far this year, compared to only one last year for the same period last year. Deputy Chief Rick Lucy provided the latest crime statistics for August to the Police Board report on Tuesday. Several of the homicides this year are related to the drug trade and gang violence. Lucy said the Abbotsford Police are very concerned about the increase in crimes of violence and murder this year and are taking steps to try to prevent and reduce these crimes from happening. The status of the 2008 murder investigations: [continues 399 words]
Christena Constible died of a drug overdose due to the reckless disregard of Dr. James Swanney to protect her life, said Crown lawyer Wendy Dawson on Wednesday. Dawson said Swanney is guilty of criminal negligence causing death as she concluded the case against the former Abbotsford doctor. Justice Brenda Brown is set to render her decision on Friday (Nov. 24). The family physician apologized to the family after she died on May 12, 2000 and acknowledged that he probably shouldn't have given her a second vial of methadone to take home with her, according to testimony given by John Constible, her dad, in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminister [continues 710 words]
Is a former Abbotsford doctor innocent or guilty of criminal negligence in the death of a young woman struggling with drug addiction? Defence lawyers this week argued that Dr. James Swanney is not guilty of criminal negligence causing death in relation to the death of 20-year-old Christena Constible. Swanney appeared serious and uncomfortable as he sat in courtroom 416 on Tuesday at the Supreme Court of B.C. in New Westminster. The physician wore a dark pin-striped suit, a blue shirt and tie with red stripes as his lawyers made their closing arguments before Justice Brenda Brown. [continues 753 words]
Conservatives May Close Prison Tattoo Parlours Taxpayers may be off the hook for prison tattoos. The federal government is looking at turfing the controversial prison tattoo program, according to Randy White, former federal justice critic. He issued a press release and told The Abbotsford News that he has "inside" information the federal government intends to cancel the tattoo pilot project. Six federal institutions in Canada - including Matsqui Institution and the women's prison (Fraser Valley Institution) on King Road - are taking part in the regulated tattoo parlours. [continues 566 words]
A teenage boy was beaten, and said he was tortured and threatened with death after the UN (United Nations) Gang abducted him near his high school in Abbotsford to force him to do their dirty work drug trafficking and collecting bad debts. The youth named John* and his parent, Gloria*, shared their troubling story with the Abbotsford News out of sheer desperation. They say they are upset the police told the boy "to move out of Abbotsford and to never come back" instead of cracking down and throwing the criminals in jail. [continues 990 words]
It's hard to imagine that a gang in this town abducted and tortured a teenager to compel him to do their dirty work in our slimy drug and weapons underground subculture. But, according to the teen, it happened. And, so far, the thugs have gotten away with it. The graphic details of the torture the youth described are deeply troubling. I saw his injuries, the look in his eyes and those images will not soon be erased from my mind. [continues 399 words]
Organized gangs are behind a large number of crimes in Abbotsford, says Police Chief Ian Mackenzie. He told the Abbotsford News this week that the UN Gang, for example, has been operating in this area for approximately five years. The UN (United Nations) Gang has a solid core of about 35 to 40 members, plus associates, working the streets of Abbotsford and Chilliwack, Mackenzie said. According to police intelligence, the UN Gang started as a loosely-knit group of kids of various nationalities who grew up together in this area. They became more formalized as a gang about four or five years ago, he said. [continues 914 words]
If a con is hassling or pressuring you to smuggle drugs or weapons into prison, you can now phone an anonymous tip line to inform authorities. Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) Pacific Region announced the start of the new tip line last Tuesday. It is the first region-wide tip line in the country, said Dennis Finlay, CSC spokesman. The fully automated toll-free number is 1-866-955-5550 and is linked to all of the federal prisons in B.C., including Matsqui Institution, Pacific Institution-Regional Treatment Centre, Mission Institution and others. [continues 274 words]
If a con is hassling or pressuring you to smuggle drugs or weapons into prison, you can now phone an anonymous tip line to inform authorities. Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) Pacific Region announced the start of the new tip line, Tuesday. It is the first region-wide tip line in the country, said Dennis Finlay, CSC spokesman. The fully automated toll-free number is 1-866-955-5550 and is linked to all of the federal prisons in B.C., including Matsqui Institution, Pacific Institution-Regional Treatment Centre, Mission Institution and others. [continues 274 words]
A Former politician with the District of Abbotsford is upset about the current city council's method of shutting down houses with alleged grow-ops. The city recently condemned one of Clarence Jensen's houses that he rents at 1977 McCallum Rd., after an inspection for a suspected grow-op under its controlled substance property bylaw. Jensen, as the property owner, complained that he was not notified by city staff about the inspection nor the eviction of the tenants. He was golfing at Campbell River, said Jensen, when a police officer phoned him and told him "We're in your home and we're kicking everyone out." [continues 433 words]
An Abbotsford chiropractor is opening the first clinic in Canada to pioneer a new way to treat alcoholics and addicts with nutritional therapy. Dr. Helen Fadden is starting the privately funded IV clinic this week offering mega-doses of amino acids and nutritional supplements to prevent withdrawal symptoms and relapses. She told the Abbotsford News that similar clinics operating in the U.S. have helped people to enjoy a 75 per cent success rate in preventing relapses. The medical community, however, is skeptical. [continues 653 words]
Abbotsford (Conservative) MP Randy White is calling for an operational review of the federal prison system after documenting reports about growing violence inside the jails, rampant drug use and assaults on guards. Dennis Finlay, Correctional Service of Canada spokesman, Pacific Region, declined to comment on the criticisms raised by White because they are national political issues. John Williams, president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers in the Pacific Region, said there is a growing presence of gangs in local prisons and potential violence is a concern, yet punitive measures to keep inmates from misbehaving are not being enforced enough. [continues 491 words]
The first car he stole was a '94 Jaguar worth $88,000. Fifteen-year-old Andrew Pigott was barely tall enough to look over the car dash as he grasped the steering wheel. But his enthusiasm for driving the stolen car quickly cooled when a police officer pulled up beside him. It was the end of his joy ride, but not the end of his stealing. He was just a young fool - he admits that now. Pigott used to smoke pot and steal cars because the chase triggered an adrenalin rush that excited the bored and rebellious teenager. He started experimenting with more drugs and before he knew it, he was hooked on heroin. [continues 609 words]
Drug turf wars, revenge killings and pimps enticing naive 13-year-old girls with drugs and ultimately into prostitution - those are some of the slimier activities rising from the criminal undercurrent in Abbotsford. The Coalition for Drug and Crime Prevention, however, noted the City of Abbotsford is basically "safe" and has shown leadership and made progress against crime during the past year. A number of residents raised their concerns during a public forum Tuesday night at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. Abbotsford resident Peter Reid said the recent murders in the city are the result of revenge killings associated with drug turf wars between Asian and Punjabi gangs and biker gangs. [continues 421 words]
A strong American pro-drug lobby group is manipulating the media with an organized and effective letter-to-the-editor lobbying campaign, said Langley-Abbotsford MP Randy White. The purpose is to sway public opinion to support legalizing drugs, he said. The MP noted that the Abbotsford News, and many other newspapers, publish letters from authors who live all over North America in the opinion pages. Newspaper opinion pages are a hot target spot for this lobby group, said White. "Many of those letters to the editor are not truly representing the public opinion of residents in our area," said White. [continues 341 words]
A former hard-core crack cocaine addict with two children is now a social worker helping people with the Ministry for Children and Families. Two school principals struggling with addiction are now clean. Those are some of the success stories that keep Peardonville House and the Valley Recovery Support Society motivated to continue to help people overcome their drug and alcohol addictions, said Gerry Palmer, chairman of the society. He recounted the history of Peardonville House - the only women's treatment centre in B.C. that also offers a daycare centre for children - during Friday's official opening of the new facility at the corner of Peardonville and Ross Road. [continues 481 words]
Historic downtown Abbotsford will deteriorate into an area like downtown eastside of Vancouver if a Sally Ann proposal on Cyril Street goes ahead, says the Abbotsford Downtown Business Association. Business owners believe the downtown heart has the potential to beat with new life like Fort Langley or Gastown, if not for an unhealthy high concentration of service agencies in this area. Salvation Army supporters counter that their proposed new shelter for transients and recovering drug addicts and alcoholics will help clean up the downtown and bring the services to the people who most need them. [continues 743 words]
The Salvation Army does not accept the point made by the majority of addicts interviewed last week by the Abbotsford News. Two-thirds of the addicts said the location of a proposed "bridge house" and a transient shelter in Abbotsford's downtown area would drive them back to their addictions. Major Ron Cartmell, pastor of the Salvation Army in Abbotsford, said it must be understood that men would not be moved to a bridge house until they have been clean for at least six months and have support in the community. [continues 540 words]
Recovering drug addicts who have lived on the streets say downtown Abbotsford is their "war zone" - a hostile territory they need to escape if they want to get clean and stay clean. The drug dealers, pimps, hookers and other users swarming downtown are their deadly triggers. And they target the weak. The latest controversial Sally Ann downtown proposal to add a bridge recovery house with a transient shelter in downtown Abbotsford would be absolute "insanity" for them, said most of the addicts interviewed by the Abbotsford News. [continues 449 words]
