(This
column was published in the North
Shore News on
Oct. 1, 2003)
No stops to repeat criminals
By Leo Knight
WHEN we left off last week the police had arrested a one-man crime wave in the Lower Seymour-Dollarton area of North Vancouver.
In a stark moment of clarity, the courts did not let the man out on bail.
The charged man has been remanded for two weeks in North Vancouver provincial court pending a hearing to determine eligibility for bail.
So, we will see and I will be watching.
Meanwhile on Friday afternoon, while he cooled his jets as a guest of Her Majesty, North Vancouver RCMP were called to two break-ins in the same neighbourhood on Friday.
In fact, one was right next door to the earlier victim's house, where fingerprint identification was first made. At the other, on Tollcross Street across from an elementary school, two kids coming home interrupted the intruder. Fortunately, he fled without harming the kids.This time.
How did this break-in occur, if the one-man crime wave was in jail?
What I didn't tell you last week, was that when the Mounties sprung their trap to arrest their target, he was accompanied by his older brother. The brother hot-footed away and was not chased as no warrant existed for him at the time.
That was then. He now has a warrant outstanding for his arrest. Evidently he cannot keep court-ordered conditions either.
Police are anticipating another warrant will be issued for him, too, in the next day or so. Apparently he likes to avail himself of your property in your home, as well.
Any guesses who the prime suspect is for Friday's break-ins?
According to a Mountie investigator I spoke with on the weekend, both brothers will do at least a residential burglary a day.
It simply doesn't matter what conditions the courts impose, they continue their life of crime unabated.
And it is the good citizens of North Vancouver who pay. Time after time after time.
But lest you think these are isolated examples, allow me to tell you they are not. Good examples perhaps, but hardly isolated.
A couple of months back, a colleague received a call at the office that his home alarm was indicating an intruder. He sprang from the office and bolted home to find his mother-in-law explaining that as she was about to enter his house, a man flew out of his home and jumped into a car and sped away.
But good news! His mother-in-law had written down the licence plate of the getaway car so my colleague called the RCMP.
After explaining the details of the events to the attending officer, including the detailed observations of his mother-in-law, the Mountie explained the car was probably stolen and might not lead investigators anywhere.
The investigating Mountie called the registered owner of the vehicle, expecting to ask if they knew where their car was. He anticipated receiving the news that it was not where it was supposed to be. But, to the officer's surprise, the lady answering the phone told him the car wasn't in the driveway, but her son had it.
Oh, really, he asked. Indeed, said she. He borrowed the car to go to a meeting with his probation officer. The officer later determined that two more homes on the street had been broken into prior to the alleged thief getting disturbed at my colleague's home.
That individual was found guilty in Burnaby court on the same day as North Vancouver Mounties were arresting the problem child I told you about last week.
He got a suspended sentence and more probation.
So, how well is our justice system working?
That particular piece of crap was on probation, actually going to a meeting with his probation officer when he decided to do three break-ins on the way.
That's how much he cared about court-imposed probation. So, how did the court treat him? No jail, just more probation. So what does he care? It's the justice system's version of a catch and release program. This is not a system, it's a joke.
Unfortunately, the joke is on us if we don't start screaming at the politicians who allow the joke to continue.
I received a great many e-mails last week from area residents concerned about their neighbourhood. I'm heartened to see the concern. But unless and until the politicians begin seeing your anger and concerns, nothing will change. They seem more focused on important issues like same-sex marriage than your protection.
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