The Terrace RCMP’s success rate in solving local crime went up six percent in 1985 over the previous year, and In- spector Ron Evans gives most of the credit to community support. Evans also cited “sheer effort on the part of our members’’ as contribut- ing to the force’s im- proved performance, and added,‘‘we have more sophistication in being able to determine problem areas.”’ The 1985 statistics in- dicate an overall increase in statutory (criminal) offenses of 10 percent for the municipality: of | 22 Terrace Review — Wednesday, March 26, 1986 - RCMP release —crime statistics stands out in the sum- mary is a 92 percent in- crease in offenses involv- . ing illegal drugs. Evans, who is Officer in Charge of the local detachment, attributes the increase to more intense enforce- ment rather than any dramatic escalation of drug abuse in the area. He said that a vacant staff position was recent- ly filled, resulting in more manpower for in- vestigative work. In spite of high public profile given to sexual -assault cases over the past year, Evans said that in the municipality crimes of that category Terrace and 17 percent went down 53 percent in for the Terrace detach- ment’s rural jurisdiction. The Terrace RCMP are responsible for the geographic area extend- ing around Terrace halfway to Prince - Rupert, Kitimat, Hazel- ton and Aiyansh, One figure which 1985, with Sf reported offenses compared to 109 in 1984, Arrests for impaired driving were down by 16 percent in 1985, traffic- related criminal code of- fenses decreased 30 per- cent and Motor Vehicle Act violations declined Caledonia accepted into prestigious program TERRACE — School District 88 has announc- ed that Caledonia Senior Secondary School has been accepted into one of the most prestigious academic awards pro- grams that Canada has to offer. In a letter to W. “Bill’’ Sturn, Principal of Caledonia Senior Secondary, Her Ex- cellency the Right Honorable Jeanne Sauve, Governor General of Canada, has approved the school’s membership in the Governor General’s Academic Medals pro- gram. This year, for the first time ever, the student achieving the highest academic standing in the graduating class will receive the Governor General’s Bronze Academic medal. There are three levels of the coveted award designated by medals, bronze at the secondary level; silver at the college level; and gold at the university level. The third Governor General of Canada, the Earl of Dufferin, in- augurated the Academic Medals Program over 100 years ago, and the number of medals presented annually has grown from 10 in 1874, to more than 750 in 1985. Permission to par- ticipate in the Governor General’s Academic Medals program does not come without a lot of hard work on the part of teachers and students of the schools involved, and according to Principal Bill Sturns, Caledonia Senior Secondary is no exception to that rule. Sturn said the goal of inclusion in the program was set several years ago, and teachers and students have been work- ing exceptionally hard to attain the necessary scholastic levels for ac- ceptance. He stated, ‘SI am very pleased that Caledonia has been accepted into this federally ad- ministered Academic Medals program. It is a real mark of eminence for the educational system in Terrace.” Sturn paid special tribute to Caledonia teacher, John Chen- Wing, who is in charge of the school’s Scholar- ship Enhancement Pro- gram, Chen-Wing, with several teachers, has with students after school, during lunch hours, and on weekends in an extra-tutoring pro- gram in order to attain the high levels of ex- cellence required for ad- mission to the Governor General's Academic Medals roster. together other worked Terrace’s first Gover- nor General’s Bronze Medallion will be presented at the Caledonia Senior Secon- dary Awards Assembly on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m, in the REM Lee Theatre. by nine percent. Evans said local members have been much more aggres- sive in enforcing by-laws and tend to issue warn- ‘ings rather than pro- ceeding to prosecution. He said that these discre- tionary measures work as prevention, as well as removing a burden from the already overworked court system and cutting down overtime in the form of court ap- pearances for members. Evans noted that willful damage (van- dalism and malicious property destruction) re- mained static at an average of one reported incident per day over the two years, and he added that most of. these in- volved juveniles. ‘‘Our thrust this year, and in other years,’’ he said, ‘‘is to combat the problem through a direct ap- proach, to try to con- vince parents and guar- dians of the need for stricter control,”’ In summarizing the overall crime statistics, Evans indicated that nearly every criminal report that the detach- ment responds to in- volves liquor in one way or another. A headquarters re- source requirement study concludes that a staffing increase of three members is recommend- ed for the Terrace detachment. Evans said that some duties former- ly assigned to provincial and municipal authori- ties have become RCMP responsibilities. These include service of legal documents, which in- creased 320 percent dur- ing 1985 in the rural jurisdiction. Evans noted that the increase is helpful because it gets members into out-of-the- way areas more often, but he added that the ex- tra duties put a strain on the force’s available manpower. Evans concluded by saying that cost figures for the staffing increase have been presented to the municipal council finance committee, and he reflected that the staf- fing requirements ul- timately depend on the standard of policing the community wants. Special Olympics Special Olympics Week is proclaimed in Terrace by acting Mayor Ruth Hallock. Witnessing the signing of Special Olympics Week, March 15 to 22, Is Nancy Langlais and Glna Bowker, Terrace rasidents view art work on display at the Terrace Art Gallery until the end of March. Critics from Vancouver Mia Johnson and Dianne Carr were In town earlier this month to judge work entered by local artists in the northwest regionai juried show. Art selected from the show will be submitted to the provincial festival of the arts to be held In Prince George this May. Sherry Halfyard photo Special Olympics Week proclaimed TERRACE — On Mon- day, March 17, 1986, Acting Mayor Ruth Hallock, proclaimed March 15 - 22 as Special Olympics Week in the District of Terrace. Special Olympics ex- ecutive members Gina Bowker and Nancy Langlais attended the ceremony. The purpose of the B.C. Special Olympics Society is to encourage mentally handicapped persons to participate in fitness activities, both recreational and com- petitive in order to im- prove their self-esteem and physical fitness and to increase public awareness and under- standing of the mentally handicapped. The Terrace associa- tion was formed in Oc- tober, 1985 and programs in bowling, swimming and weightlifting have already started. Plans to introduce soccer and gymnasfics in the next few months are under- way. There are presently 21 participants in the pro- gram and positive results are already being record- ed. A bowling team will be travelling to a special olympics tournament in Kamloops in May, Special olympics ath- letes sold raffle tickets and held a bottle drive to raise money for their trip. Funding for the Ter- race association has been achieved by donations from the Kinsmen Club and local businesses. Volunteers are still needed for supervision at special olympic func- tions and if you can help in any way contact Gina Bowkor at 635-7355.