The Consequences Of Crying Wolf

Something Councilor Mammoliti hasn't learned.......

Let's get real with criminals

By JOHN MUISE

Imagine my excitement when I saw the Sun's front page headline yesterday, "Deal with gangs as terrorists." I thought for a minute someone was going to introduce some tough but workable legislation to confront this deadly problem.

Sadly, it was just Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti letting another one rip from the City Hall sandbox.

Just picture it. Our soldiers patrolling the streets to round-up gang members "known" to police. Once in custody we could send them to gangster purgatory. We'll call it Gitmo-2 and put it in the city above it all, just for easy access.

We could question them indefinitely, or for two years, whichever comes first. The mind boggles.

Actually, we don't even do that with real home-grown terrorists. Bail, disclosure, charter motions, trials and appeals are all included in the rights lexicon of the Canadian terrorist.

You do have to give Mammoliti credit, though. He sure knows how to garner a headline. I should be fair. At least he is making a fuss. He obviously cares. Young thugs are terrorizing neighbourhoods and people are dying.

But what he and his gang, the kids down at the hall, need to do is make recommendations that will actually work. Forget the over-the-top pronouncements along with the chorus of ineffective suggestions including handgun bans, stricter gun control laws in the United States (like that is going to happen!) and the closing of law-abiding sport shooting ranges.

If the politicians at City Hall want to make a difference they should consider the following:

- Lobby the province for additional funding to support a real, day in and day out, cops in school partnership, a model researched and proven effective in reducing youth violence

- Lobby the province to bring in electronic monitoring for violent offenders (including gang bangers) on bail, probation, parole and other forms of judicial release. Even home and garden maven Martha Stewart wore one. Why not dangerous gang bangers out on the street on bail?

- Lobby the federal government to repeal all conditional sentences of imprisonment or so-called "house arrest."

I would add mandatory consecutive sentencing for being in possession of a restricted weapon. No plea barganing.

- Encourage the federal government to fix our broken corrections and parole laws including our failed youth justice system.

- Create a new position at City Hall, Commissioner of Public Safety, and hire an action-oriented person (not more bureaucrats) to push for change on the legislative and policy front.

As someone who just wrapped up 30 years as a police officer, I get Mammoliti's frustration with a less-than-perfect justice system. I would encourage him, and his fellow politicians, to focus on effective and realistic solutions to this problem. Lives depend on it.