(This
column was published in the North
Shore News on
Jan. 24, 2001)
Gun law didn't save these lives
By Leo Knight
DESPITE
the best intentions of Justice Minister Anne McLellan and all
the hand-wringing social engineers that live in the rarified air
of Parliament Hill, three innocent people were killed last week.
At
about three o'clock on Friday afternoon, a family member
suffering from a mental disorder apparently gunned down three
members of the LeClaire family of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The
murder weapon is believed to be a long-barrelled high calibre
rifle. Just the sort of weapon McLellan's gun control law, Bill
C-68, is supposed to control, ostensibly saving lives.
The
tragic case is particularly poignant coming less than three
weeks after Bill C-68 took effect on Jan. 1.
While
the specific facts of this case are only slowly becoming known,
what is clear is that no amount of legislation would have
prevented the killings. Equally, the case underlines what is
possible because of government under funding of treatment
facilities for persons with severe emotional or mental troubles.
The
LeClaire family was fairly average by all accounts. Reg LeClaire
Sr. owned a small business, a cabinet making shop, in a nearby
town. His son, Reg Jr. worked in the family business with him.
Chris
LeClaire, 22, had been diagnosed a year ago with schizophrenia.
Despite the fact he was receiving outpatient treatment, there
was no way of ensuring he took his meds.
This
was not a crime of a habitual criminal. Nor was it triggered by
a war over control of drug territory or for any of the reasons
that places like Surrey, Vancouver, Richmond, Calgary and
Edmonton have almost nightly shootings.
Quite
the contrary, it seems these murders occurred because of a
dispute over whether Chris should take his meds. In his
disturbed mind he felt he was OK. To the rest of the family,
that was clearly not the case.
When police arrived at 3:52 p.m. last Friday at the quiet, unassuming house, they discovered three dead bodies. They also discovered a very disturbed man armed with a rifle. A quite legal weapon, such as are kept in millions of houses across this country.
But
the disturbed man with the rifle threatened police triggering a
21 hours standoff with the tactical squad of the Medicine Hat
Police Service. RCMP tactical team members cordoned of the
neighbourhood and began the laborious process of getting the
disturbed armed man out of the house without further loss of
life.
Chris
LeClaire has now been charged with the murders of Reg Sr., Janet
LeClaire and Reg Jr.
A
tragedy to be sure. But, one that could only have been prevented
had there been sufficient community resources to help those with
mental difficulties -- and this includes contained treatment if
that is deemed necessary.
The
gun control registry created by Bill C-68 is all about a huge
expensive bureaucracy and nothing about saving lives or
controlling crime. If government spending is all about
priorities, clearly half a billion dollars could be better spent
on almost anything else.
Maybe
even the mentally disturbed.
*
* *
Kudos
to the members of the Vancouver Police Department who conducted
the successful investigation into the drug trafficking
activities of several members of the Hells Angels.
On
Monday, following a five month trial, Francisco
"Chico" Pires and Ronald Lissing were found guilty of
several conspiracy and drug trafficking charges following a
complicated and lengthy trial. Congrats also to prosecutor Peter
Hogg who took on a case the more spineless members of his
profession ran away from.
The
investigation had to be conducted in virtual secrecy, away from
police headquarters, CLEU and all regular aspects of the police
department to ensure no part of the inquiry was compromised.
One
of the more interesting aspects of the trial -- the fact that
the accused were members of the largest outlaw motorcycle gang
in the world -- was concealed from the jury throughout the
process. Police witnesses had to be excruciatingly careful not
to slip and risk a mistrial.
Ironic,
isn't it? The Angels try and perpetrate the myth that they are
just a bunch of fun lovin' guys who like to ride motorcycles.
But when in the dock on serious conspiracy charges, they don't
want the jury to know their affiliations lest the jurors take a
dim view from the outset.
A
note to Premier Dosanjh, who likes to tell anyone who'll listen
that his government is tough on crime and organized crime is a
high priority: This investigation cost almost $2 million and
took 20 officers almost two years to take down the criminal
operations of just two members of the Hells Angels.
I
should add the funding did not come from the provincial
government, but was authorized directly by now-deceased former
VPD Chief Ray Canuel. The government mandarins at CLEU at the
time, weren't told because the security of the investigation
could not be assured. Read into that what you will.
There
are over 90 members of the Hells Angels in British Columbia. The
total budget of the newly founded Organized Crime Agency of B.C.
is a mere $13.5 million. And they are responsible for
investigating Asian organized crime, traditional organized crime
(Mafia), East European organized crime as well as outlaw
motorcycle gangs.
Do
the math.
Dosanjh can't talk the talk if he is not prepared to walk the walk.
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