‘If they'd heeded alarm, they'd have saved lives'
TALKING POINT: Tracking down violent criminals
Barrie Blake
The Province
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
After following the story of former Vancouver police officer Kim Rossmo in the papers, I have come up with this conclusion -- if senior police officials had paid attention to the alarm bells he was ringing, many more lives could possibly have been saved.
The geographic profiling program that Rossmo has designed is being used by police forces in other countries, apparently with great success.
Now I'd like to ring a few alarm bells.
How many times have you read about some estranged husband or wife with visiting rights who then murders the child?
It seems to me these individuals think the only way to bring vengeance on a wife or husband who has left or divorced them is to murder the children.
If the federal government were to adopt this profiling program of Rossmo's Canada wide, I believe many lives would be spared.
I also believe that before a divorce-court judge decides to grant visiting privileges, a complete series of psychological tests should be taken by the parent applying for visiting rights.
Only upon the recommendation of a qualified psychologist should permission be granted.
Can you imagine how many young children's lives could be saved over the years if this policy was set in motion?
If our government wants to raise my taxes to institute such a program, I say go for it.
Barrie Blake,
Maple Ridge
© Copyright 2002 The Province
03/20/2002
Pain and Hastings
Editor, The News:
Doris Martin says these women chose to become prostitutes. Unfortunately it’s
people with a very narrow-minded view who do not actually see the reality of why
these women end up addicted and prostituting to pay for that addiction. These
choices were made for them long ago by our society.
Where are we glorifying prostitution? As someone who has lost a friend, Sarah
deVries (one of missing) I know all to well her pain and suffering. You see
Sarah kept journals and wrote about that pain (Pain and Hastings) suffering on
the mean streets and of being trapped by addiction and prostitution to support
that addiction.
She loved her family, her friends and life and we all loved her. You didn’t
know her, so you didn’t know her heart. I did.
Wayne Leng
San Bernardino, California