Progress
The Chilliwack
Friday
3
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ALR changes
Lease
Awareness
Opposition strong to expanded agricultural land uses.
Owner irked by possible 700% hike.
Going online to create awareness.
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News
Life
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
Restorative Justice funding merits another look: mayor Jennifer Feinberg The Progress Chilliwack put forth a resolution at the 2014 conference of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, urging the provincial government to undertake greater cost sharing for restorative justice programs across B.C. And it’s not the first time. Mayor Sharon Gaetz said G Restorative Chilliwack has long history of justice can aformally requestchange lives ing a greater funding share from the and direct province on this matter. people into a important “We continue healthier way to ask the provincial government of living to fund ongoing restorative jus~ Sharon tice programs, because we Gaetz know they bring results,” she said. The restorative approach, which brings together first-time offenders and those they’ve harmed in the community, to find concrete ways to help the parties heal from the incident. Statistically the programs are shown to effectively reduce recidivism, or repeat offences, by an estimated 87 per cent, she said. Offenders must accept responsibility for their actions, and they get to hear directly how their behaviour impacted the victim and supporters, as well as their own family. “Hopefully one day the provincial government will see the value of funding restorative justice,” Gaetz said. Provincial agencies used to fund restorative programs, she noted, but at one point reverted to providing startup funds only.
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Continued: JUSTICE/ p4
Const. Jamie Rae, along with program coordinator and dairy farmer, Devin Toop, have started Agri-Watch in Chilliwack. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Banding together to stop rural crime New Agri-Watch program has farmers helping farmers Eric Welsh The Progress Think of property crime in Chilliwack, and the area around Five Corners might spring to mind. But while the downtown is perceived as an epicentre of criminal behaviour, the truth is it’s everywhere. Even in peaceful rural settings, known for grazing cows and corn stalks waving in the breeze, bad things happen. “Dairy farms have a lot of high-dollar items, a lot of steel and a lot of wire,” said Devan Toop. “We have thieves come in to take tools or strip out our wiring and plumbing. A lot of
people come to this community with the expectation that you can keep your door unlocked and trust your neighbour. And that’s why a lot of bad people come to the country as well, because they feel people are a bit lax in protecting their property.” A new program coordinated by Toop and a diversified advisory committee looks to address rural crime in a proactive way. Operating in Greendale since April, and looking to expand elsewhere, Agri-Watch is uniting a wide range of farmers (dairy, poultry, hay, nursery) in a common cause. Modelled after the Block Watch program, property own-
ers purchase reflective signs to post on their property. A small sign costs $28. A large sign costs $70. Statistics say the presence of signs alone can cause crime to drop by approximately 80 per cent. Agri-Watch participants also get access to a closed Facebook page where they can report break-ins and suspicious activity. “It’s a community-driven program where we band together to help ourselves and help the police,” said Toop, who’s had everything from motorcycles to pressure-washers stolen from his properties. “Many times a farmer gets something stolen, he checks his insurance deduct-
ible and says, ‘Well, maybe it’s worth it and maybe it’s not.’ When they don’t report a crime, it skews the statistics and lowers the police presence in an area where it may be needed. Maybe the biggest thing this program does it make it easier for farmers to report problems.” “Most of what was going on in Greendale wasn’t being reported,” added Cst. Jamie Rae, the RCMP liaison for the AgriWatch program. “People told me they didn’t have time, which is understandable, or they didn’t want to bother us with something so small. Or they didn’t think anything could be done. Part of the program is educating people about when and why to call police.” Continued: WATCH/ p6
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