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LETTER: Here's a novel idea for Surrey RCMP: get out of your cars and walk the beat

45320carr-dale

The Editor,

Re: "Rash of muggings target lone walkers," the Now, Jan. 13.

It's all fine and dandy for Surrey RCMP Sgt. Dale Carr to admonish people not to walk alone after dark so that they won't be mugged.

However, sometimes it's just not possible to find someone to accompany you should you need to run an unscheduled errand after dark - especially in winter months when it gets dark so early.

One answer to this burgeoning problem may well be for more police to actually walk the beat rather than drive it. Once a potential mugger sees a patrol car zipping by he/she can be reasonably assured that he/she has at least a half hour to accomplish his/her two-minute task before law enforcement comes around again. Whereas a foot patrol has more time to notice the suspect behaviour of potential miscreants and discourage them from their accustomed activities (the police are apparently trained to detect "suspect behaviour," I believe).

When a community experiences 20 muggings in six weeks, it seems clear that something isn't working like it should.In my experience, calling the police after the fact will get you little except, perhaps, some sympathy and yet another call for public assistance. The foregoing suggestion is my assistance.

Jon Christensen, Surrey