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50 high-risk offenders live in Greater Victoria. And despite community concerns, few commit new crimes or break court probation rules
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ublic notifications for two sex offenders living in Victoria are creating widespread fear and scant meaningful information, says a local criminal justice
expert. Last month, two paroled sex offenders – James Campbell, 63, and Larry Takahashi, 61 – moved to Victoria halfway houses, prompting public warnings from the Victoria Police Department. Takahashi is on a temporary release and must return to prison Dec. 24, while Campbell received an automatic release after having served two-thirds of his sentence. “Public notifications do create generalized fear,” said Blair Fisher, a criminal justice instructor at Camoson College. That fear often leads to false sightings and can strain police and parole office resources, Fisher said. In the past several weeks, VicPD has
received hundreds of calls about both men but neither have been caught violating their conditions nor committing crimes. “In the case of Mr. Takahashi, even though he’s got a temporary unescorted absence, all that means is he doesn’t have a specific escort tied to his hip,” said Patrick Storey, Parole Board of Canada spokesman. “He doesn’t have overnight leave, and he’s surrounded with watchful eyes.” A high-risk offender is defined as any person who reasonably poses a significant risk of harm to a public individual or group. From a police perspective, false sightings
“We see these guys up to six times a day, so we can tell when they’re acting strange.” – Dave Johnson, John Howard Society of Greater Victoria
are a small price to pay to mitigate potential risk to the public. “We have a duty to inform when there is someone we feel is dangerous in our midst,” said Bowen Osoko, VicPD spokesman. “Those who live here are our eyes and ears.” At any given time, there are roughly 50 high risk offenders and another 250 convicted offenders living in Greater Victoria, according to VicPD numbers. Only some of those men – including Takahashi and Campbell – end up at one of Victoria’s three halfway houses, where they face much more restrictive conditions. PLEASE SEE: Victoria halfway houses, Page A12
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Look what’s rolling into Driveway
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While there’s still a lot of 2013 to pack in to the final two months of the year, car manufacturers have already begun rolling out next year’s models. In Friday’s edition of Driveway our knowledgeable auto columnists will look at some of the eye-catching 2014 models that will be out on our roads in the coming year. Driveway editor Keith Morgan picks some of his favourite higher-end vehicles: BMWs, Audis, Mercedes. (These vehicles start at $34,000.) Zack Spencer and Alexandra Straub look at vehicles that are more practical for the family lifestyle. Spencer chooses his favourite compact cars and SUVs, while Straub highlights fun and sporty cars at a price that won’t break the bank. Truck aficionado Ian Harwood, in his first appearance in Driveway, will lay out some of the best pickups on the market. And for the environmentally friendly driver, Bob McHugh introduces five new hybrids that give their gasoline counterparts a run for their money. “Go and kick some tires at a variety of dealerships and consider multiple brands because they all have much to offer,” Morgan says of the 2014 line-up. editor@vicnews.com