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By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Safety survey a waste of time and money

Apr 14, 2023 | 4:15 AM

DID WE SERIOUSLY have to pay for a survey to tell us that we feel less safe than we did before the pandemic?

Really?

I don’t know many people who feel comfortable out and about on the streets at night. The new survey for the Canadian Press suggests that nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they felt things were “much worse” or a “little worse” than before the pandemic.

Are you surprised? I’m actually surprised the numbers are not higher.

B.C. residents seem to be the most worried in the country, and when you look at the crime rate, not just in the Lower Mainland but all over the province, you can see why. Stabbings on transit busses, gangland executions, random assaults, the list goes on.

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Do I want to let my kids wander the streets? Not even in my own neighbourhood. As a senior about to hit 75, do I want my wife and I to take an evening stroll through the neighbourhood? Not like we used to.

I don’t want to even go downtown at night to one of our great restaurants, trying to weave my way through the addicts and petty criminals. So what is the answer? In the survey, many blamed the provincial and federal governments for lack of action particularly in sentencing and easy bail conditions for repeat offenders.

Wednesday the province set up a new level of bureaucracy that is supposed to help deal with repeat violent offenders. 12 pods comprised of the RCMP and other support groups will be set up around the province. As has been typical of the government’s announcements the past few months, this one is also long on rhetoric and short on substance.

No timetable for delivery, no details on how these special teams will help contain repeat offenders, just a rah-rah speech that I believe has little chance of bringing success, at least for this particular problem.

We need a judicial system that will keep offenders in prison longer while they await trial. We need judges to be tougher on sentencing for repeat convictions. These pods may help in investigating some infractions but overall, there are better uses for those resources.

Communities bear some responsibility too. They have to reach out to the public and let us know how they are working and what they are doing. Hard right now in Kamloops because the work of standing committees has been suspended.

We do not trust the leadership at any level, it seems. And when you combine what’s happening in our province with the constant string of tragedies south of the border, we need to demand more of our leaders.

I am not convinced, based on what I see so far, that special “pods, which sound like something out of a Star Wars movie, are the answer. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.