Falcon unveils comprehensive public safety plan
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
VANCOUVER, BC: BC Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon today unveiled his comprehensive public safety plan, building on the successes of the BC Liberals’ past ten years in government.
The 12-point policy document includes strategies to focus policing on high-crime neighbourhoods, attack petty crime like metal theft, better support victims of crime and frontline public safety teams, and continue the fight against organized crime.
“Under the leadership of the BC Liberals, British Columbia has led the nation in fighting crime by introducing innovative technology such as real-time police information sharing and integrated policing initiatives,” said Falcon. “My public safety plan builds on those successes, gives more tools to frontline police officers, and responds to ideas I’ve heard from local government.”
Under Falcon’s plan, local governments, which fund the majority of policing in their communities, would receive 50% of all assets seized under proceeds of crime legislation.
“We want to make criminals prove that they purchased their assets with legal money,” said Falcon. “If they can’t, they should lose those assets and the funds should go toward helping honest taxpayers pay for policing in their communities.”
The plan also calls for tougher province-wide restrictions on scrap metal dealers to deal with the millions of dollars that metal theft is costing taxpayers, Hydro and TELUS customers, and the public.
The plan recommends enabling better sharing of information and expertise by ensuring that local police detachments partner with integrated teams. Falcon also proposes improving WorkSafeBC medical coverage for firefighters, and seizing vehicles where restricted or prohibited weapons are found.
The BC Liberal Party leadership vote will take place on February 26, 2011. Any member of the BC Liberal Party in good standing on Feb. 4, 2011 is eligible to vote. Individuals wanting to learn more about Kevin Falcon or join the BC Liberal Party can visit kevinfalcon.com
(A backgrounder with the complete Kevin Falcon Public Safety Platform follows.)
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Media contact:
Trevor Pancoust
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BACKGROUNDER
Public Safety Platform
Kevin Falcon is committed to building on the historic investments the BC Liberal Government has made in fighting crime and supporting public safety over the past 10 years.
Fight Crime Smarter
• Support intelligence-based policing by enabling special units to target areas with high crime rates. This approach is modeled on the successful initiative started in New York City that dramatically reduced street level criminal activity. This push back on crime would be built utilizing and acting on the data provided by PRIME, BC’s integrated police records system.
• In regions where integrated police units exist, we will ensure that all police forces partner and work together with those units.
Attack Petty Crime
• Stop the unacceptable levels of metal theft by requiring scrap metal dealers to report all metal purchases, quantities, and cost to the police within 24 hours, and to hold the material for seven days. Dealers would also be required to record the identity information of scrap metal sellers.
• Require pawn shops to report all purchases to the police. Pawn shops would also be required to record the identity information of goods sellers.
• Require retailers to report the sale of crystal meth precursors to police, and expand the Meth Watch program into all relevant retail outlets.
• Leverage public safety dollars by examining increased funding for crime prevention programs, volunteer safety programs, and school liaison police officers.
Support Victims and Frontline Public Safety Teams
• Review funding levels, service outcomes and resources for victims of crime to determine whether improvements can be made.
• Take care of those who take care of us by adding acute cardiovascular disease and esophageal cancer to the list of disorders recognized as occupational diseases for firefighters. Medical and WorkSafeBC research show firefighters are at significantly higher risk of these diseases due to their work in difficult and often poisonous environments.
Continue the Fight Against Gangs
• Continue our aggressive attack on gangs, including supporting the efforts of police outside urban areas. Over the past 18 months, 200 gangsters have been arrested, and more than 140 are still in jail. Forty homes have been seized under proceeds of crime legislation. Government should also consider adding more prosecutors to speed up court cases and, ultimately, convictions. We will also undertake a review of all legislative options and national and international best practices to strengthen our response to organized crime.
• Partner with local police forces to go after any proceeds of crime over $10,000, and return 50% of assets seized to local government to support local policing. Criminals should have to prove that their assets were purchased with legal money—if they can’t, police should seize them.
• Pursue mandatory minimum sentences with the federal government for any restricted or prohibited firearm charge in BC. We need to get guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
• Give police the ability to immediately seize any vehicle in which a restricted or prohibited firearm is found.
For reaction or comment, please feel free to contact the following:
Dr. Darryl Plecas, RCMP University Research Chair in Crime Reduction; Director, Centre for Criminal Justice Research (School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of the Fraser Valley) – intelligence-based policing, grow operations, drug labs, organized crime
Ext. 4553 or
Mayor Dianne Watts, City of Surrey – Meth Watch, pawn shops, metal theft, proceeds of crime
Mayor Peter Fassbender, City of Langley – pawn shops, Meth Watch, proceeds of crime
Office: Cell:
Firefighter Larry Thomas, Secretary-Treasurer, BC Professional Firefighters Association—firefighter WorkSafeBC issues
or
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