(Re: “Mayor selects task force to tackle safety and crime, Progress, July 17, 2019)
Yet another “task force,” who’s footing the bill for this? Do we seriously require another list of recommendations for our crime-ridden community?
• READ MORE: New task force on crime set to strategize for Chilliwack
Chilliwack isn’t unique to the drug-addicted criminals. We’ve jumped on the pity-party with every other district plagued with them and more of the failed “what we’re doing” isn’t going to make it work or get better. The drug-addicted criminals have fooled all the do-gooders by lingering under the ruse of the homeless. The “truly” homeless participate in the programs and services available, the addicted criminals simply fill those spots to advance their own addiction and criminal activity.
This abundance of crime in Chilliwack is no different in other communities, warehousing and removing the criminals from out of-sight simply masks the issue. Let’s start with policing. Get those officers out of the detachment, out from under “task forces” and “special units” and back on the street, policing. Yes, it’s tedious, repetitive and frustrating but that’s the duty they signed up for. Currently the police resources are being utilized for these “special” tasks outside their hired duty to police.
Every year the RCMP cry for more resources, every year I see no improvement in the policing, in fact, I rarely see police enforcing much of any law and order, not even policing the speeders in school zones! I guess those policing “tasks” are outside their preference of policing. Before the city embarks on a big expenditure for more “recommendations” they should take a serious view to implement our own police force. The RCMP are outdated, plagued with internal controversy and a federally operated police force just does not benefit local communities. In fact, I would suggest Chilliwack consider the amalgamation with the Abbotsford Police Department and pool resources to be FVRD. RCMP can not begin to provide a sufficient level of security, safety and policing when they have no invested interest and loyalty in the community. They will be transferred in two to three years and the RCMP are a mountain of bureaucracy and like all federal entities, are a cesspool of dysfunction. Remember, the police are not judge, jury and executioners, they are to provide law and order. If the same criminals are cycled through the justice system, that is not their issue to correct (or ignore) that problem as it is outside their jurisdiction, they need to police and process.
We don’t need to build more drug houses or provide “safe” places to do drugs, we need policing! And that’s my task force and recommendation from a resident taxpayer of Chilliwack!
Chester Malcolm