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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, MARÉI 3, 1976, WHITBY FREE PRESS w hitby Voice of the County Town Mike SERVING OVER 28,000 READERS F lu l)lisIiocd every Wednesday bby M.B.M. Publishiing and Photography Ime. TflîiFiree Press Building Burgess, rubuusner-Ma naging Editor. 121 ýBrock Street North, Assistant Editor - BlakePurdy -- Community Editor - Brian Winter "Côhonrbtingé Editor -- Jim Quail Production Manager - Marie Burgess Display Advertising Manager- Robin Lyon Classif ied Ad Manager - Circulation Manager Marlene Byrom Sharon Lyon Box 206, Whitby. Mailing Permit No. 2941 phone 668.6111: Toronto Line 282-1004 Chase 'em A recent tragedy involving a police chase drew the con- cern of numerous readers in the form of letters (sonie are below) and telephone caîls. Most comments indicated a common feeling that police shouldn't chase offenders, especially in town, for minor violations and have an innocent bystander, or onotorist, pay the price. Nobody, especially us, wants to see innocent people hurt, but we feel the blame mîust be placed in the right place. The offenders who nobody spots, and nobody chases, wind up being listed as "hit and runs ..Many of whom are neyer apprehended. A good part of police work is based on the law of averages, and a large number of "wanted" people are arrested through routine checks. An officer spotting a car running stop lights, stop signs and travelling at a dangerous speed in a downtown area doesn't know that possibly the driver, is just late for breakfast for obviously can he work on that assumption and look the other way. Thie officer MUST consider thie possibiity that the speeding car may contain one of our daughters locked in the trunk on ber way to a grisly end..after ail if the offence was only a minor one who would try to mun and risk facing a jail term instead of stopping and getting a $20 ticket? We were coneerned A Free Press editorial last week incorrectly implied that Councillor Gerry Emm was concerned that the Town I_ miay have deferred, until next year, dealing with matters which should have been confronted this year.I It was we, not Councillor Emm, , who were concerned. Police "endlangteringf citizens with hot and bloody pursis j Dear Sir; One night Iast week, V a woman in Whitby, a mother of three, died at the wheel of her car. She was struck byanother car which under ordinary circumstances might have been elsewhere; chances are,' it would flot have been travelling at a des- perate speed. But this was no ordinary circumstance. The speed, according to the press, was well above the town limits. The resuit is that a wom-ýn is dead and a youth, instead of confronting whatever ED'S NOTE: Following is a copy of a letter sent to R. A. Claringbold, Dep'.jty Treasurer of the Town. 1')ear Sir; This letter is -sent to -you as a protest against the increase in cost of dog licences for this year in the Town of Whitby. It was bad eno-ýgh last year having to pay $10.00 - as opposed to Oshawa's $5.00 and Scarborough's $4.00 - but this year you have arbitrarilly increased it to $1 5.00, wjich is a straight 50% increase. This certainly does not fal within the anti-inflation guidelines. As an ernployee of a Company . which is com- pclled, to eomplY With th'o Mues of the Anti- might have been laid otherwise, is now facing a very serious charge. When will police de- partments realize that speed kilîs as quickly in a police chase as in a drag race? Whenl will they realize that they, whose basic purpose is to protect the public, violate their own prin- ciples, by endangering citizens, with such hot and bloody pursuits? When will they unlder- stand that they do not foster respect'for the law by tramping on the gas ini chases that turn a Inflation Act, I find it very distarbing to see the local government act as irresponsibly as you have done in this case. Or is the local goverument exempt from such guide- lines? If increases of 50% are stili acceptable, then Canada can scarcely be said to have a function- inganti-inflation program. I personally feel that ~even the $10. 00 required last year was too high, since - as far as I know - we do not receive any services whatsoever for this fee. If I arn in error on this point, I would appreciate being advised what services I have been missing for thç past year. I can only'hope that you have received suf- ficient number of coni- plaints froni the residents quiet streel into a dragstrip? They know better. ln 1968, a national study dont ,ini the United States, proved tliat police chases, in that country, are filled witli more danger tli;î sense. Seven out of 10 cases ended in a,,ccidcents, haif led to serious injury; o ne-fiïf th led to dea th. We have îlenty of examlles ini Ontario. lu Novernber, 1965, two innocent teenage boys near Spanish were killed Mien a police cruiser was pursuing a speeding car. of Wliitby to warrant reversai of this irres- ponsible act. Yours tiruly, V. Nosowenko, Whitby Resident & Taxpayer. 'Outragye ous' The article recently presented by B. dollins, Brooklin, regardîng the outrageous increase 'in the cost of a dog tag for, Whitby residents conveys my sentiments on the subjeet exactly. 1 would, however, like to point out tha t the suggestion made by B. Collins to send a letter of complaint to the Federal Anti-Inflation Board pro- duced no resuits. I sent a letter and they contacted me by telephone from I 1967, in Scarborougli, a stolen car, chased by 1 5 police cruisers, left a trail of two innocent dead and three injured. And wliat of the law, which the police are, above ail, entrusted to Lplold by practice and by example? It is by .'o rneans certain that the police are relieved of their responsibilities simply because they are chasing an autom-obile for some minor inifra-.ctioni. Especially ini a residential area. "It is îiot very clear in law", wrote the Globe and Mail, ini an editorial Ottawa (two calîs, 1 was not available the first fii)to informn me that it was flot a case for thern as it was a provin- cial matter and to further explain that the increase is probably a ineans of trying to discourage people from having 'pets' who can't be bothered looking after then. 1 would suggest that per- haps a better method of handling this would be to allow the genuine pet owner to procure a dog licence at a reasonable cost and impose a HEAVY fine on the 'dodgers' and make more of an effort to catch them. Yours truly, Peggy Smart, Brookliin. in April, 1970, "whether a policeman can dis- regard restrictions that bear onl civilian drivers as long as lie can dlaimi to be doing his duty". dan the p)olice tell us wvhy they had to pursue the veliiele iin the recent incident; wlîy it would inot have been sufficient to take the licence nuin- ber ýand do sonie followup footwork; wlîy the use of radio or roadblocks was inadequate; why it was niecessa-,ry to risk life aiid 5.111b? Incidents like these in Wbitby serve to fuel the suspicioni that somne police officers do not exercise prudent judge- mîent, thiat sorne are et off the saine slab of mieat as the speeding drivers they are. to pro tect us against. Yours truly, Kenneth Bagnlell 'Idio tic' Dear Sir; I feit after seeing the front page of your Feb. 25th issue 1 had to write & make my« feelings known about the sense- less death of a mother of 3. The end results of yet another high speed chase through city streets by police. We seem to read about these idiotie chases more & more frequently resulting ini property damage & risk to humnan lives. I begin to wonder who or whA-ýt was gained? What could ailyone ppssibly, hýope to grain? The apprehension of a dangerous crirninal? The recovery of a stolen vehicle? JHow often is this doue without some- onîe losing their life or the stolen car being totally smiashed auywav? 1 think the mn on our police force are doing a fine job but this is one area whiere they need to examine & re-evaluate their motives. Surely thére are som-e guidelines set out regarding these silly and dangerous chases, throughi urban areas. If not, there certainly should be. We read through the paper & there on page 8 wve see a large display ad with the leader "People are soinetimes the inno- cent victimis of violent crime". In this case we wonder who was respon- sible for this violent crimeê? Who can compensate the bereaved father and three rnotherless children? Who can wipe the stain froni the life of a youth who is nowm charged with crim~inal negligence causing death? Who can ease the conscience of the police officer who no doubt wonders as 1 do was any of ithis ireally necessary? If -it was, I would surely like to hear the explanation. It must have been a matter of life or death. Sincerely, Mrs. Dorothy Lintjens Brooklin, Ont. --------------~............... Barking about dog li*cence fees01900 qlkl JOL