OPINION & LETTERSTHE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR:The Oakville BeaverTHE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR:Canadian Circulation467 Speers Rd.,Audit Board Member Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 Recognized for Excellence by(905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571ClassiOntario CommunityCanadian Communityfied Advertising: 632-4440 Newspapers AssociationNewspapers AssociationCirculation: 845-9742 Open 9-5 weekdays,ATHENASuburban NewspapersAward5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekendsof AmericaEditorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. NEIL OLIVERVice President and Group ROD JERREDManaging EditorMARK DILLSDirector of ProductionUnauthorized use is prohibited.Publisher of Metroland WestDANIEL BAIRDAdvertising DirectorMANUEL GARCIAProduction ManagerThe Oakville Beaver is a division ofDAVID HARVEYRegional General ManagerRIZIERO VERTOLLIPhotography DirectorCHARLENE HALLDirector of DistributionJILL DAVISEditor in ChiefSANDY PAREBusiness ManagerSARAH MCSWEENEYCirc. ManagerLetter to the editorBoost sentencesTown ready forfor cop killersinfrastructurePolicing is a profession in which a seemingly simpleaction can have the most tragic of consequences.renewalWe were reminded of this last week with the death of York Regional Police Const. Garrett Styles, one of the braveWe were very pleased thatsouls who, day in and day out, work to keep us safe.Metroland and The Oakville BeaverThe 32-year-old, seven-year veteran of one of Canadasprofiled the infrastructure renewallargest police forces was cut down June 28 in the prime of challenge facing Ontarios commu-his life, leaving behind two young children, a wife, familynities and the need for provincialand wounded brethren of fellow officers who will continueand federal governments to assistto serve and protect.municipalities in addressing thisWho holds responsibility for ensuring the safety of ourchallenge. men and women in blue? To a great degree, it falls on ourThis is a very important issuepolice officers themselves, who, through training andand I want to highlight the stepswatching each others backs, strive to make it home safelythat the Town of Oakville has takenat the end of each shift.to address this problem.Our national justice system also plays a key role, with The Town of Oakville has pre-strict rules ensuring an added deterrent when a police offi-pared itself well for infrastructurecer is killed. Yet, in this respect, the system is failing.renewal. In 1996, the town began toWhen a person is accused of killing a police officer, theaddress the infrastructure fundingcharge is automatically upgraded to first-degree murder. Yetgap by introducing a one percentit is difficult for prosecutors to make this charge stick, as itannual infrastructure renewal levy.can be downgraded by a jury during a finding of guilt.This annual increase in propertyLook no further than the tragic death just four years agotaxes has allowed the town to buildof York Regional Police Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett. Lastup its annual capital funding andWednesday, the day after Const. Styles was killed, an Ontariohelped to reduce the infrastructurejudge sent Det.-Const. Plunketts killer to federal prison forthe senseless death.funding gap in our community.After being charged with first-degree murder, NadeemThe Town of Oakville has alsoTheOakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations Jiwa, who was 19 when he crushed the officer with his car,more recently introduced an accel-Letters toand grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author.was convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 12Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4,or viaerated road resurfacing program toe-mail toeditor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter.the editoryears in prison, but with two-for-one credit for time servedaddress the maintenance needs of in pre-trial custody, will serve only an additional 50our roads by substantially increas-months.ing our road resurfacing budgetWe supported the elimination last year of the two-for-Good samaritans to the rescueover the next decade to catch up onone sentencing credits, but because Jiwa was charged beforeour renewal needs.that, former sentencing rules applied.My daughter and I were out for a bikea small truck stopped, who happened to The article noted that the townsAs a result, hell go free in barely four years.ride and I had a terrible fall.have a first aid kit with him and attended to capital forecast identified $870 mil-The underage driver charged with Const. Styles deathIt is comforting to know that there aremy arm and even afforded to take our bakes lion in required spending, however,could face an adult sentence and, under new rules, wouldsuch wonderful people who actually stoppedhome for us. They both even stayed with us this includes both infrastructurenot have the benefit of two-for-one sentencing credits.Yet, asand helped us.until the ambulance came.renewal and growth-related infra-in the Plunkett case, if the youth is convicted, a jury willA young woman had a cell phone andI will never forget their kindness.structure spending. determine the sentence range based on the charge.called for an ambulance. A gentleman with N. Stephenson, OakvilleThe actual amount of funding forChanges to Canadas Criminal Code are in order. Weinfrastructure renewal included inshould scrap the automatic bump-up to first-degree murderthe 2010-2019 capital forecast wasand replace it with an automatic additional sentence beyond$356.3 million and these projectsPud BY STEVE NEASEneasecartoons@gmail.comwhat a judge issues. will be funded through a combina-Another 10 years behind bars would be a good start.tion of the infrastructure levy, capi-There should be no negotiations, no get-out-of-jail-soonertal and equipment reserves, gas taxcards. This way, even if a killer is convicted of manslaughter,funding and debentures.the penalty will fit the crime. This will hopefully serve as abetter deterrent than what exists today.The growth related infrastruc-Until that happens, there is little justice for our fallenture is largely, though not com-police officers and their families. pletely, paid for by developmentcharges rather than property taxes.The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion Finally, while the Towns totalof advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize See Development page 15advertisements or decline.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 8, 2011 6