CounterAttack program survives for the time being THE PROVINCIAL Coun- terAttack program aimed at drinking drivers and speeders will continue but in what shape or form isn’t yet known, Now past 20 years in existence, CounterAttack roadbiacks have been fi- nanced for some years by ‘ICBC which pays off-duty police officers overtime. It also pays officers overtime to control speeders. But the money, $10.5 million for CounterAttack roadblocks and $3.6 mil- lion in 2000 to curb spee- ders, was placed in doubt early this month when ICBC officials said they needed to curb casts and raise rates to avoid Tunning into. debt. And that raised the issue of why ICBC was paying for services not dir- ectly connected to vehicle insurance. “We will be discussing our commitment with our partners ~ the police and the: provincial government “= early next year,” said ICBC official Hal Wake. - “AIL government. ser- vices are going through a core review, including ICBC, and it’s possible those. responsibilities (of “paying for CounterAttack] may change because of the care review,” he said. Police officers and others back CounterAt- tack, saying it saves at least $3 in costs associa- ted with traffic deaths, in- juries and damage. for. “every $1 spent. ICBC pays for five hours a day of overtime for highway patrol officers to track down speeders and Cst. J.R. Walker wood and on into the Nass Valley as speeds there will increase because of road improvement projects. The local CounterAt- tack roadblock campaign resulted in 12 impaired charges in 2000, says Con- stable JLR. Walker, There were also 53 24- hour road-side suspensions for alcohol, 13 suspensions for drugs and 116 violation tickets written up, indica- ted ICBC statistics for this year. Both the roadblock and the speed campaigns oper- ate from May to. Decem- ber. Walker said the public in the area has come to expect roadblocks, “They’ve made it quite clear that road checks are an integral part of driving the highways and byways of the country,” he said. There are four Counter- Attack roadblock periods of six hours duration each week, Walker did note that despite all efforts of police | and the courts, there are still people who will drink and drive. “Medically speaking they have a disease and they’re out there driving. They don’t care about pub- lic safety or awareness,” he said. “Something has to be done about these people.” Rural policing costs could rise THE PROVINCIAL government is thinking about forcing residents of rural areas such as Thornhill to pay a portion of policing costs. Solicitor General Rich Coleman has said Vic- toria is reviewing its present policy that sees the province pick up 100 per cent of RCMP costs in unincorporated areas and towns under 5,000 popu- lation. Such a move cautd translate into hefty property tax hikes. Right now those areas don’t pay specific amounts for policing, although a rural property tax levied on those residents is supposed to contribute to provincial costs for policing and road mainte- nance. Hazelton mayor Alice Maitland said new poli- cing charges could force towns like hers to drama- tically reduce budgets for snow removal and road repair. “For small communities it will be a disaster,” she said. “And this is from the government that says they’re not doing downloading.” Les Watmough, Thornhill’s rep to the Kitimat- Stikine regional district, said the province pro- mised it wouldn’t download costs onto towns under its planned new municipal charter. “The way they’re working now they're going ta do all the downloading before the charter comes in,” he said, Ministry officials say the goal is to.make a de- cision this winter on a rejig of the sharing of poli- cing costs. Government figures indicate about eight officers are needed to police Thornhill, at a cost of around $800,000. If taxpayers in the rural area had to pay 70 per cent of that - as Terrace does — the annual bill would be $560,000. That’s one of the options con- templated in a ministry discussion paper. Fe NaMH capmmacenremeem pt Fata abbeterbaeteren yet, ae MS epee eek epee PRINTS . Framed & Matted Starting as low as PORCELAIN GIFTWARE Highlighted with preciays metal "4714" Keith: ‘Ave © §35-3729 other bad drivers, which is then matched by the de- tachment, says Constable Warren..McBeath of the a Spire eats » wh eat ~» Beath, a --Crimestoppets al. 638-847 local F RCMP. highw aynPar . trol section. TE gives us consistent enforcement all the time. ’ and that’s important, ” he said, This past year those exira resources have been devoted to the road from’ Rosswood south to Terrace and Hwy37 south of Ter- race ta Kitimat. “We're getting quite. f - good results,” said Mc- ' “We used to get a lot of complaints on the Kalum ‘Lake Drive from people about aggressive drivers.” “We know there. has -been’ a decline in ‘acci- “dents there.,” McBeath ”. added. He said it is important to. maintain a presence on the highway north to Ross- Suspect sought TERRACE RCMP are try- ing to identify a suspect believed ta be involved with a series of break-ins — along Katum Lake Dr. Police. said the break- . ing are related and are . thought-to have been com- mitted by the same person. The suspect is de- - scribed as a white man in his 20s, medium height, slim build, brown hair. and “’ ‘a moustache. “Police said the suspect — ~ . Often wears denim clothing :< With a dark ball.cap which _ may bear a “Budweiser” togo.. ‘He may go by the first name ‘Pat, said police. ~-.