Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 8, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press local july John Douglas 6977292 features Jim Carr effiailcityj3esk@freepfegs.rtib.ca a3 police computer count missed 800 crimes sources by Doug name police reporter an internal review of police records from 1996 shows a com Puter glitch under reported crimes in january by eight per police sources the findings mean crime May have increased although police chief David Cassels insists the Overall crime rate fell in me has not seen the new but Cassels said he is confident the yearlong review will show under reporting no greater than four per 1 believe that our crime statistics killer want viewed As violent i suicidal Man find children Tell inquest by David Kuxhaus staff reporter a Man who shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself was not considered Vio by the healthcare professionals treated him in the Days leading up to the ii an inquest also heard yesterday that i the children of Lawrence Mercer found it difficult to believe their father was capable of such an they told an inquest yesterday that More treatment programs Are needed for men who find themselves in the same situation As their there really is no facility that Lawrence Mercer told provincial court judge Raymond har was found dead in the basement of his Windsor Avenue Home on 30 of last year along with his the 58yearold woman been severely beaten and then once in the head with a Mercer had been depressed about couples separation a month Earli advocates from battered women groups and the mental health Community raised concerns about the Type of care Mercer received because he had checked out of a mental health facility hours before the i sought help n Mercer sought help four Days before shooting at Boniface general i Adam a psychiatric Resi Dent at the said he inter viewed Mercer for 45 Gunn said Mercer seemed anxious while he spoke about his marital he was worried about future Legal having to give up his Gunn although Mercer admitted to hav Jing thoughts about Gunn i described them As merely he clearly didst have any organized Gunn Mercer mentioned that he kept two firearms in the but Gunn said he want doctors can request that police remove weapons from a Home if they feel there is a for the most wanted to said there did not seem to be a Clear threat to his safety or any t one Gunn said he believed Mercer was simply experiencing a situational Cri i Mercer underwent psychiatric treat ment in 1983 during a Brief marital Gunn referred Mercer to the crisis stabilization unit at Sara Rej the facility is staffed by psychiatric nurses and social it offers Short term care the average stay is less than one week and patients can Check out whenever they workers there testified that Mercer 1 seemed agitated Over How he was going to manage on his Howe his condition improved Over the next couple of he seemed much More recalled Michelle a psychiatric he checked out of the facility on a Day ahead of schedule before he Lee said he spoke on the phone with his who apparently told him that he could live in their Home temporarily Lawrence Mercer said he never feared for the safety of his Mother he said he didst know that his father kept guns in the and said he should have been notified by those who it could have Rome a he Jold the which wrapped up Are under reported by a very Small its he the reported crime Fate All across Canada is dropping and Winnipeg is no but other officers Are not so in a review of police Calls for service in nearly 800 crimes appear to have been missed when the original statistics were sources Calls for the rest of the year Are being the number of crimes the computer failed to count month by month is expected to be similar to Jan As the rest of 1996 is critics the eight per Dent is a far cry from the 30 per cent under reporting that some but it is also More than twice what Cassels vowed it an angry Cassels launched a scathing attack on Mem Bers of the police service and City Hall officials who say he has been under political pressure to gloss Over the crime situation in the City to help boost Winnipeg he if there was any pressure on me at 1 would be very Frank with politicians and Tell them that 1 would never entertain such a if they expected me to do s6 they could find themselves another police Cassels will appear before the City Protection Parks and culture com Mittee later this week to address the statistics1 in the police service released statistics to City Council for the first 11 months of 1996 showing reported crime had plummeted in the dropping by 10 per cent after increases in four of the last six but two months officers Dis covered a glitch in the recording Many minor investigations like ear breaking and vandalism were not some of the cites roughest neighbourhoods appeared to have an 80 per cent drop in reported prompting civic leaders to credit the police service for their late last police still maintained that crime had dropped by six per cent in compared with police have launched an internal review to try and sort the numbers with an entire year Worth of Calls being reviewed on Byone to see if they were recorded or officers familiar with the process say As Many As crimes that took place in 1996 an average of 40 a Day were not accounted taking bylaw into their own hands Core residents fight Rooming houses by Nick Martin staff reporter residents of two Cor Earea fed up with City Halls inability to find and regulate Rooming Are organizing their own search both West Broadway and West end residents groups Are doing a House by House Check to catalogue both Legal and illegal Rooming and Are poring Over tax Rolls and land title records to compile lists of Absen tee you go to West there Are whole 100 per cent room ing Glen Murray fort Rouge said about 40 people in West Broadway Down room ing Houseman finding out who owns Murray there compiling the information the old fashioned pins in a map As Well As on a data he West end Community activist Irish Masliuk said the same data Are being compiled under the leadership of Harry Lehotsky of the Spence neighbourhood Masliuk said a major frustration has been the cites willingness to show sympathy to investors who operate without then plead that Treyve invested so much in renovations that they should be allowed to other activists in Point Douglas have also contacted them for tips about collecting Masliuk Wolseley residents association president Zanna Joyce said Home owners in East Wolseley such As on Walnut and Chestnut streets have become especially vigilant about spotting Rooming West Broadway resident John Robertson said there Are three room ing houses opposite his Furby Street you just Batten Down the hatches on the on the other Robertson his Neighbours on either Side Are Rooming houses that Are with Good there you ask for better a Lack of City staff has made it difficult to enforce zoning Mur Ray you really dont have zoning in these for All intents and he everyone knows its a Murray speculated he could open and run a Rooming House for five to 10 years in West Broadway without being the Good news is that the planning committee yesterday unanimously approved a staff recommendation to hire seven additional if we get the we should have the problem cleared up within a said a committee a group of Wolseley residents appeared before the committee yes complaining about the Lack of enforcement of the cites zoning bylaws and the devastating effect the illegal Rooming houses have on Chris Green with wife Joyce and daughter Kove in front of Wolseley area Rooming House Many Are in poor the As we have the right to ask the City to enforce its own Chris a Chestnut Street told the Green said Many of the Rooming houses Arent zoned for the area and be adding Many of the buildings Are in poor and the landlords rent to Rowdy and disruptive planning commissioner Tom Yauk said hiring seven additional inspect at a Cost of about Annu would allow the City to identify the illegal Rooming houses and work with landlords to clean up their prop Murray said a confidential report states illegal Rooming houses were allowed to be set up because a few years ago some City staff were More preoccupied with ensuring the Homes complied with inspection require ments without realizing they we rent zoned for the Murray said in most other property owners simply converted Homes into Rooming houses without the cites adding those account for about 80 per cent of All Rooming on your get and win drink answer the trivia question and you could win grand prize a hot Carriean cruise for Tavvo or 1 of 15 second prizes limited edition Manitoba milk team Manitoba sweatshirts or 1 of 15 third prizes limited edition Manitoba milk team Manitoba Polo shirts i on your get and win contest trivia jul Istian for Wiy question How much Calcium do you get from just 2 glasses of 2 milk the answer clue find the answer in tomorrows Manitoba milk producers and in the Winnipeg free 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