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6 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, July 7,1998 <~COMMENT Box 248, 191 Main St.E, Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 878-4943 Classified: 875-3300 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver A.serrieate Publis/ter David Bos Genereal Maneager Rob Kelly Editor Karen Cross DiteributinrManarger Teri Casas Office' Manerager Tim Coles Production Manaerr The Canadian Champion. published twice weelyloan 191 Main Oný E. Milon Ont . LOT 4N9 (Box 248). is one ni The Meroland Prnnin, Peblshîne & Pîstributing Ld, eneen ef suburban connpa- [le, 00m1 cli wl-sAjax iPîkr[[q ho. ,Aî1cnnî1.ýî Ai,itf HenealdCourier. Barrie Svalte. Barrys Bay This Week, Bolloîî Enierpnse, Bampon iruandita, turlington Shopping News, Bunington Post, Cty Paent, Cllngweed / Wasaga Cenneciin, Eas Yenrk Mirno, Ene Adeeeate/Ceuntry Routes. Enbcoke Oardian, Flambeneugh Post, Georgetown Independent/ Acion Fee Press, Kngston Tint Week. bLindsay Tis Week. Manihamn Ecenemisn & Sun, Midianit I Peneanguishene Mince, Mississauga News. Newmanket / Aunona Ea tanne,, Nothumberland News, NortiVYnin Mince, Oakiiie Beaven, Oakville Sihopping News, Orillia Teday. Osirawa I Whinby / Claingoen Tis Weel, Peterborough Tis Week, Richimend ill9/1ThornnillI /eaughran Lbtral, cabeeugh Minne, Oebidge I Ooutille Trbune, Tdays Senors, Cty onVYnrk uandan. Adveetsng es accepteit on thre condition riain the evel of a typoapincai ennen. ihai pretionoftire adveelising space ecce- pied by tie ennorenens item, fogethen mOth a easenable allwance on signature, iii nef be chanseit for. but tie balance of the aîvedtise- ment wiii e part tirr an the applicable raie The publsher reservee tihe righto caegoenîe adver-liseirrenis or declîne. Making a difference Peter Campbell is retiring soon as the chief of the Halton Regional Police Service, apparently after indicating quite some time ago that he would only serve one five-year term. Good for him. Bob Middaugh, the recently retired head of the Hamilton force, who was once deputy chief in Halton, said not too long ago that nobody should be chief longer than a handful of years because the job involves a lot of wear and tear. This through controversy both within and without. It brought some thoughts with regard to policing, which has been criticized, on the big-picture level, in this space before. Perhaps not enough positive attention has been allotted, from a more personal perspective. Through this business reporters and editors often corne to know police officers, some on a personal level. Your agent bas both friends and acquaintances in various deparments. One thing that has become apparent is that as an officer's career goes on, he or she often becomes a bit jaded and world- weary. In fact, on more than one occasion an officer bas indi- cated, as his or her career wound down, that getting out of policing would be a good thing because they didn't make any difference. This stems from the observation, on their part, that there are at least as many criminals out there as when they started patrolling the streets 25 or 30 years ago. Maybe so. But that isn't their fault. They didn't create crimi- nal behaviour. For the most part, they spent tîreless and tedious hours forging investigations aimed at curtailing it. What they did was clamp a lid on crime, keep it from getting out of hand. The measure of success for a police department is not in the failures for which some tired officers may feel responsible in the twilight of their careers. The measure of success for a police department is, in a sig- nificant way, seen aIl around us every day. It is the quality of life we enjoy. Granted, Canada's embarrassment of riches and deeply moral commitment to social safety nets for the truly needy are the cor- nerstones of law and order in this country. But effective, responsible policing can do a lot to preserve and enhance the quality of life in a community. Because police offi- cers closely watch those for whom crime is a career. They also act as a sobering influence on the rest of us when we're tempted toward wrongdoing, interceding in domestic dis- putes, nipping juvenile crime before it degenerates into some- thing worse. People often blame police officers because they weren't in place 'X' when thing 'Y' happened. That's bard to accomplish, since the objective of most criminals is to do their work when the cops aren't there. Catching people in the act is difficult. Catching them sooner or later is not easy either, but it happens more often than most people think. Everybody gets tired of their job at one time or another, and police officers probably more than most. But if they have taken their work seriously, they should neyer think they didn't make a différence. They did. Rob Kelly + OUR READERS WRITE Trucks a major growth issue, reader says Dear Editor: The following are my observations with reference 10 a story in last Tuesday's Champion by Brad Reamue The sory claes that Milton bas the igbest vehicle acci- dent rate in Halton. 1 guess what really bums me are the bhead in the sand' commente from our local council in response 10 the report. What really scares me is that if our councilors are blind to the underlying contributor 10 a majority of these accidents what the heck is going to happen when this issue bas flot been properly addressed and the shovel breaks the ground for Milton's expansion? Now don't get me wrong. 1 am pro-development in Milton, but if important issues such as proper roads and transportation infrastructure have flot been addressed wbere does that leave us wben Milton doubles in suze? Has the water and sewage issue taken the focus off issues of equal importance? My home backs onto Ontario Street (Hwy 25). Since 1 moved 10 Iis location seven years ago I have seen Ontario Street widened 10 four lane and the volume of traftic, in particular tractor trailers, increase steadily every year t0 the point where 1 cannot enjoy my patio Now I muet keep my windows closed because of the incessant blasîing of diesel engines and the squealing of brakes and tires. Not t0 mention tbe black, oily film whicb forme around the edge of my pool and on my patio fumniture from the exhaust fumes. Milton is a desirable community flot only for families but also to companies who wieh to locate here because of our excellent acces 1 major transportation routee. And what doe hat mean' More trucks. Residential development may flot be happening present- ly but commercial/indusErial sure has. New warehousing and manufacturing operations are popping up in High Point Park and along Steeles Avenue like dandelions. Transport companiee with large fleets of trucks have been teadily relocating here. Local quarries have been reopened and upped production levels. What does that mean'? More trucks. Where'? A good majority right through the middle of town.. Theee trucks epeed through the middle of own, unable 10 stop quickly, sbould one of our children bappen 10 step oQut unexpectedly on their way to echool. Wake up counicilors. Perhaps i's time to stop hlaming our teenaged drivers and our police force and focus on the important issues under your control. 've rcad the newspa- pers over the years and seen the stories about traffic fatali- ties in the area and my recollections of many eeemed to include trucks. 1 Iooked around and try 10 compare our lit- tic community 10 others. 1 could flot think of one commu- nity that has a provincial highway bisecting il. Others divert heavy through trafic to safer bypass routes. Where's ours'? le it going to take those squealing brakes to suddenly end onc day with a dulI thud and the borror of one of our young- clerc lying motionlese in the middle of a crosswalk'? Ste yen Porter Milton Pud by Steve Nease ý m