Saanich News, February 15, 2013

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Opening the past Museum rethinks how it presents history of B.C. Page A3

NEWS: Ocean swim fundraiser Sunday /A5 ARTS: Tracey Moore returns to Belfry stage /A13 SPORTS: Junior B hockey playoff preview /A16

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Public hearing for improper Saanich police arrest from 2011 Kyle Slavin News staff

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner announced this week it will hold a public hearing into allegations of professional misconduct against a Saanich police officer. Complaint commissioner Stan Lowe on Monday said the hearing will look into allegations of deceit and abuse of authority involving Const. David Smit following a May 2011 incident. Smit himself requested the hearing. While attending a report of a domestic dispute on May 20, 2011, Smit directed a man out of his home in order to arrest him for intoxication in a public place. “When questioned by his superiors about his actions, Constable Smit denied that he had directed the male outside in order to affect his arrest,” Lowe wrote in a release. “Constable Smit subsequently admitted his actions to his supervisors and the arrested individual was released from custody as he was improperly arrested.” Saanich police Sgt. Steve Eassie explained that being intoxicated inside a home does not constitute a public place, although being outside does. “Once you are outside the threshold of your door, you are in a public place because you’re accessible to the public.” A Saanich police investigation in 2012 proved the deceit and abuse of authority allegations, and Const. Smit was suspended without pay for seven days, and his rank was to be demoted to third-class constable. PLEASE SEE: Disciplined officer, Page A11

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Arnold Lim/News staff

Tim Stockwell, from the University of Victoria's Centre for Addictions Research, said that an increase to a minimum alcohol price in B.C. would bring in more revenue for the government and could potentially save lives.

Paying more for beer could save lives Alcohol pricing policies linked to injury, death rates, says UVic study Arnold Lim News staff

It may not be popular with the pub crowd, but bumping up the minimum cost of alcoholic drinks could save lives, according to researchers at the University of Victoria. Joint research by the University of Victoria, the University of Toronto and the University of Sheffield in the U.K. indicates boosting the average minimum cost for alcohol from about

$1.25 per “standard drink” – roughly a can of beer or glass or wine – to $1.50 would improve public safety and government profits. “We know what impact it’s going to have on probable rates of admission to hospital on alcohol-related injuries and death,” said Tim Stockwell, the study’s principal investigator. “The government (also) collects more revenue and the retailers make more money.” The research estimates 39 fewer premature deaths, 244 fewer hospital admissions and more than 1,000 fewer crimes committed in B.C. after only one year, in addition to an increase of $2.8 million in provincial and $1.7 million in federal taxes. The study looked at alcohol-related injuries and deaths, hospital admissions, crime, gov-

ernment revenue and alcohol expenditures for light, moderate and heavy drinkers. Stockwell, who works with UVic’s Centre for Addictions Research, said their research shows heavy drinkers would be affected most with an increase of more than $200 per year, and moderate drinkers would have an increase of about $11 per year. Light drinkers would have little extra expenditures. “The bottom line is consumption goes down a little, especially the heavy drinkers, it doesn’t affect light drinkers and moderate drinking doesn’t change much at all,” Stockwell said. PLEASE SEE: Pricing not cure-all, Page A10

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