Cops to criminals: Get outta the zone!

By Scott NeufeldTuesday, November 28, 2006,http://www.dailycourier.ca/article_751.php
Vernon RCMP may soon have a new tool at their disposal to keep repeat criminals out of downtown.The police have flagged high crime areas of the city as "red zones." Under a new program the police will be able to prevent habitual offenders from entering these red zones as part of their parole conditions. If they are caught inside a red zone they could face more jail time.Insp. Clair Hayward of the Vernon RCMP said there are three red zones within in Vernon, one of which includes the downtown core. He said the new tool will be an effective method to deal with crime hubs such as the downtown."Their release documents will say they are not allowed within that area," he said. "Then if you find them there you can breach them (for a parole violation)."Ultimately, the conditions must be approved by the courts, but the red zone restriction could apply to those convicted of crimes ranging from prostitution to assault, to drug trafficking offences.Cpl. Henry Proce of the Vernon RCMP said the red zone program has been successful in cleaning up cities in other parts of the province. He said the restrictions are a way to keep the peace and make it more difficult for criminals to congregate in the downtown."It can effectively clear an area of people charged with crimes," he said. "It has worked very effectively in Kelowna."The program has been in place since early November but police have yet to have any red zone conditions approved for any offender. Proce said Crown counsel has approved the plan in principal but he's not sure why no restrictions have been laid yet.The news of the program comes as the RCMP have released crime figures from the month of October. Total criminal offences have risen 2.5 per cent from 749 offences in October 2005 to 768 last month.The increase was driven up by small increases in assaults and break and enters as well as miscellaneous criminal offences. Theft from motor vehicles and frauds dropped last month compared to a year ago.For the three-month period from August to October of this year, however, total crimes dropped by nearly five per cent from 2,324 offences down to 2,216.