Letters

NewWest council needs to listen to its police chief

Editor: I find it extremely troubling that some New Westminster city council members, along with a police board member, appear to be considering either taking funds away from the New Westminster police services, and/or handing control of the police budget over to city council, after Chief Const Dave Jansen made it very clear that New Westminster has a serious crime problem.

The chief constable of our police department knows better than anyone else what the department needs to deal with the serious violent crime problem that New Westminster and so many other cities in the Lower Mainland are facing on such a frequent basis

And it is long past time that certain people in positions of power in this city put their personal ideologies aside, and get on board with Chief Const. Jansen and New Westminster police services, to ensure our citizens are as well protected as possible from those who choose to terrorize our city Thank you!

Gary Tupper

Legislation will help protect front-line heroes

Editor: Every day our news reports and social media feeds are filled with stories of yet an- other violent attack on a first responder

The unfortunate reality is that our front-line heroes, our nurses, firefighters, paramedics, police and other health-care workers are confronting an epidemic of violence while serving and providing essential services to our communities

The rates of verbal and physical assaults continue to rise We are failing our front-line heroes, and this must change.

I introduced Bill C-321, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (assaults against health care professionals and first responders) in the House of Commons as a first step in curbing the escalating violence.

This piece of legislation, if passed, will amend the Criminal Code to consider an assault against first responder or health-care personnel an aggravating circumstance during the sentencing of the perpetrator of the assault. Violence should never be a part of the job description

Everyone has the right to a safe and respectful work environment We need to work together, to ensure all health-care providers and other front-line staff are safe at work.

Bill C-321 is up for debate this month I urge you to write your MP or use the hashtag #321GO to voice your support of this important legislation

Our front-line heroes shouldn’t have to fear for their lives as they care for you and me Todd Doherty, MP, Cariboo-Prince George Shadow minister for mental health and suicide prevention