B.C.’s Top Cop Reflects on 2015, Looks Ahead to 2016
Prince George, B.C. – A whirlwind.
That’s how Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Morris describes 2015.
“It started of course with the Canada Winter Games and that was a world class event, very exciting,” he says. “And then as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations – the wildlife habitat review I did was very time consuming.”
There was also all the time he spent travelling the province doing committee work which of course all culminated with his recent appointment as minister this month, something he acknowledges will take “several months” to get a handle on though his previous 32 years with the RCMP should ease that transition.
“I do understand how the ministry works from my time in the force so I’m familiar with the systems and the processes that are in place. With corrections, policing, the Coroners Service, consumer protection, road safety. Those are the areas under my ministry.”
Once he’s up to speed, he says one of his priorities in 2016 will be stemming a lot of “misinformation” about policing.
“Perhaps a feeling that organized crime is on the increase and public safety is a concern. Our police do a fantastic job in this province and the types of investigations they do are world class,” he says.
“They’re getting great results but the public don’t hear a lot of that stuff so I want to make sure and I want to reinforce to the people in B.C. that we live in a very safe province, in a very safe country and that they are going to be putting all the bad guys in jail.”
That’s not to say who won’t be focusing his attention on other files.
“Street level drug trafficking is a major concern, I don’t think we’re ever going to stop that, it’s been around since the beginning of time but we will be doing our very best to make sure that we incarcerate the people that are responsible.”
He’s also taken notice of Prince George RCMP Superintendent Warren Brown’s call for more officers in his detachment.
“Being a police manager myself in the old days my heart goes out to any police manager, any manager of a public resource, trying to work within the confines of budgets,” says Morris.
“Particularly in the policing area though, where you can’t really predict what’s going to be coming down the pike with respect to crime or the complexities associated with that crime.
“So I certainly understand that but it’s all taxpayers dollars, it’s a municipal detachment where the majority of funds come from the City of Prince George. So I’ll let Warren have that discussion with mayor and council and I’m there to support him in any way that I can.”
Comments
Street level drugs verses triple deletes and other rot at the top . Things that make one say hhmmmm.
I stopped reading at the first “world class”. :) Does that make me a leftie? :)
World class?! Ok.
What a bunch of baffle-gab:
“Street level drug trafficking is a major concern, I don’t think we’re ever going to stop that, it’s been around since the beginning of time but we will be doing our very best to make sure that we incarcerate the people that are responsible.”
TRANSLATION: We’ll wait till Trudeau legalizes pot and then claim how much we’ve reduced street-level drug trafficking.
“So I certainly understand that but it’s all taxpayers dollars, it’s a municipal detachment where the majority of funds come from the City of Prince George. So I’ll let Warren have that discussion with mayor and council and I’m there to support him in any way that I can.”
TRANSLATION: Sorry, we blew the budget protecting Bassi and Virk, so you’re on your own, Warren.
Pure, grade-A horse pucky!
No, it does not make you a leftie! This meaningless expression is in the vocabulary of all parties! It is meaningless because nobody ever bothers to find out what the rest of the world is doing or not doing – BEFORE making such claims. :-)
Speaking of crime . Canada’s are the worst performing markets in the whole wide world and even the Salvation Army is under performing . Just a coincidence right ? And the dummies miss Quasimodo and his all for Fort Mac policy . Crime on a grand scale .
32yrs a rcmp..EH!morris…and did you put how many hellangels in jail??
They are running the show,I would bet crusty is in they pockets too.
BC angels are the richist ones…did ya know that.
When your KID gets Methed out,OD’s on sum substance bought on the street,it has come from red & white…
And the Gangsta’s…once ID’d as such should be run out of this city for good,just like they used to do!
Drop it Ataloss
Even CBC reported that oil was 7.9% of GDP under Harper and 9.3% of GDP under Chrétien ! As for the markets, you can buy US and do just fine!
Drop it ? Really? Worst performing markets world wide was engineered by an incompident gaggle of idiots . I guess you like the dollarette at 71 cents . Imagine what it’s like for people that are going to pay thirty percent more for food and every thing else imported . Thanks for the trading advice but your a little late . I shifted to US market back in 09 . Im doing just fine .
Ataloss facts not hyperbole.
hows your imaginary solar system doing? Must be rolling in dough from that pipe dream.
As if I’m going to help you make money . Are you going to max out your TFSA on the third ? Tell us again about natgas . That’s your funniest thing yet . In your mind and writing first we’re going to burn up all the natgas , then we are going to switch to methane , right ? Every time you say that I almost laugh till it hurts and you want to talk solar and money . You crack me up buddy . If you want a red face just look up fossil methane . That’s the actual name for natural gas . The newspeak name for Fossil Methane makes it sound so nice . Trouble is it full of Radium ( half life of 1600 years ) which is a million times more damaging then is uranium . So much of it scales in the pipes and equipment used to extract it that is an incredible dangerous thing for the workers that have to clean it .
Ataloss you better quit drinking water, your internal pipes are starting to glow.
“my heart goes out to any police manager, any manager of a public resource, trying to work within the confines of budgets”
Organized crime does not have a budget, yet we’re stuck with politicians who don’t realize, if you want to beat up on the bad guys, the good guys need money to go after them. They won’t give them the money it takes then hold them accountable when the crime rate goes up.
People complain the police aren’t in their neighborhoods at night keeping the thieves at bay, or complain when they get a ticket that police aren’t out getting robbers and thieves.
This has been a transient community as long as I can remember, it’s the place where working stiffs come in to town for a couple days off and blow their paycheck, then go back to make some more, some leaving some misery behind, druggies selling their stash and continuing on to sell elsewhere.
Enforcers coming in to settle scores.
Yet, police get complained about because they’re not writing enough tickets for texting, catching idiots on the Hart 500, not there when the idiot cuts you off or won’t stay in the curb lane.
When will politicians understand they have to pay for the enforcement, the investigations, the reams of paperwork it takes to put a person through the court system, and court overtime? Doubt they ever will.
Then the judges who are hamstrung by bail and sentencing guidelines, have to let the goof out again. It’s never ending, and if you can’t chuckle about it, you’d go crazy. There, I’ve done my bellyaching, but still 100% on the right of Mike Morris, really hoping he can make some changes. Always wish for the best.
Happy New Year folks!
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