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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-02-27, Page 170 crossroads tie weekly henna In yew Listowei tuther. W111E0441 Advance. Times and mount Forest Confe- derate in rend by UAW people in the "heartland of Midwestern Ontario". (Balled On 3.3 readers in each of 9,500 bonzes.) " - • • . • , , Et Published ever), !tot/kin The Listowel Banner, The Wingham Advance -Times and The Mount Forest Confederate by Wenger Bros. Limited. —Crossroads—Februarl 27, WM-- ofrnitiolft TORONTO_, Feature by Chege Mbitiru 001b, 0j/toleration Identification ... a plan 'whelp put a thief out of business "You can be a valuable aid in the fight against crime by personalizing your portable belongings with your driver's li- cense number or your social insurance number." —Operation Identification Brochure The scene is a storme room in a police station. All around, and with numbered tags, is stolen • property that has been recovered by the police. Included are adding machines, cameras, household appliances, cottage items like water pumps, guns, jewelry, photographic equipment, musical instruments, power tools, radios, record play- ers, stereos, television sets . . . The list is endless. A sergeant is pacing the floor, pencil and pad in hand, puffing a cigarette, and obviously impa- tient. He is, though, -courteously pointing out the latest bunch of ,0 stolen property most recently re - Covered. A man and his wife are walking around, turning the property over, looking for that television * , set (or whatever) that was stolen when their home was burglarized while they were out for the even- ing or away for the weekend. "It's this one," she says, excitedly. "Yes, yes. I think so," he says, looking very thoughtful. The sergeant pauses. That's what he has been waiting to hear; them identifying their property. • „ Then he asks the crucial question: "How do you know it's the one?" They look at each other. "It just looks like It," they answer, almost in unison. "Sorry, folks," the sergeant says in that polite but no-non- sense tone. "That's not good enough." The scene is imaginary, yes. But any policeman will swear that happens all the time. People whose property has been stolen and recovered by police fail to give positive identification of ownership. That means, •among other things, that they can't get their property back if recovered unless they can furnish positive identifi- cation of ownership. Operation Identification, a pro- gram sponsored by the Ontario Insurance Agents and Brokers Association (OIABA), and en- dorsed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), is aimed at making people do two things. One: Record the serial or model numbers of 'the property they own, and Two: Engrave their driver's license numbers or social insur- ance numbers on the property they own which has neither the serial nor model numbers. Constable Elmer McKenzie, community services officer at the Mount Forest detachment of the OPP, says that social insurance number is the best form of identi- 0 9 • 5 0 fication because only one person would have that number in the whole of Canada. Technically, the process is as simple as a child's play with crayons. The equipment is an electric marker weighing 13 ounces. It has a carbide point for average marking or a diamond point for engraving extra hard material. The ,points, the manufacturer claims, are easily interchanged. The manufacturer also claims, and members of OIABA and the OPP believe, that the instrument "quickly and easily engraves metal, glass, stone, ceramics, plastics, hard woods, etc." It "cuts right into the surface to leave a permanent mark which can't be wiped off and won't wear away in normal use," an ad- vertisement brochure says. The brochure adds that using the marker is cheaper than using special tags or nameplates. The truth of this is enhanced, as far as the Operation Identifica- tion is concerned, by the fact that participating OIABA members will loan the marker to anyone wanting to use it. There are insurance agents in Mount Forest, Listowel and Wingham and they have the markers. But 'Operation Identification isn't a hOusehold word in these towns or the surrounding areas. The reasons are varied. Constable McKenzie said there hasn't been enough publicity about the program. Ross Wilkie of Harriston, who runs his insurance business from an office in Clifford, noted: "The problem is that ninety per cent of the people in the area 'don't even . know the program exists." In Listowel, the 'story is even more interesting. Ken Hodgkin- son of Don Hamilton Real Estate recalls that two years ago'agents bought the electric engraver, paid for an advertisement telling town residents that they could use the equipment and that they could pick it up at the police sta- tion. Said Listowel Police. Chief, William J. Sachs: "Three of my men used it but no one else has used it, to the best of my know- ledge." He added, "I used to keep it on the counter but no one was asking for it so I put it away. It's still here if they want to use it." In Mount Forest, William Cockburn, an insurance agent, is a great enthusiast of the program and said it is a very good one. He owns an engraver and several of his clients have used it. Talking about people's reaction to the program, he expressed amazement that some even say they are not interested. "It's funny that people who could easily buy a replacement, say' a gun, if stolen, are the ones who ask for the engraver," he said. He has loaned his engraver to the OPP Mount Forest detach- ment for a month and notes that "no one has asked us for it." Ray McCannell, another insur- ance agent in Mount Forest, said the program is a good thing and he is willing to buy the engraver if any of his clients are interest- ed. "So far no one has enquired about it,." he said. Does the problem of identifying stolen property that has been re- covered exist in the area? "Sure," says Chief Sachs. "Most stolen property is never identified." Then he related a problem for his department, now easing, of stolen tape players from automo- biles. In a separate interview Ser- geant Harvey Thompson, also of Listowel Police Department, said, "Any police officer can tell you that the problem exists." In a serious tone, he empha- sized the importance of people having positive identification of their possessions. "Not only manufactured property," he said, "even animals. How do you tell that a dog belongs to one per- son kand not to the other?" Mount Forest Police Chief Bowyer claimed the problem exists, and added, "Some people won't even know the make of^ their television sets." Constable McKenzie said the OPP doesn't have the value of property recovered but not claimed, because of lack of posi- tive identification. However, he did not discourage a reporter who was speculating that the value could go up ,to' ,several hundred thousand dollars. Whenever stolen property is recovered, Constable McKenzie explained, serial and model numbers are recorded in a computer at the Canadian Infor- mation Centre. This means several things: If the property has identification like the serial number or driver's license num- ber, or even the social insurance number, the police can locate the owners and ask them to take the property back. It also means that if an officer suspects that some property is stolen, he can enquire from the centre and get an answer within a relatively short time. Such infor- mation can also help in prosecu- tion, said Constable McKenzie. The information centre can be used by all police departments in Canada. "But what's the use of listing stolen goods without any identifi- cation?" Chief Bowyer asked. Thus, the police have vested interest in Operation 'dentine*, tion not only in as far as identifies cation of stolen goods, their.. eventual return to owners and possible help in prosecution aro. concerned, but in stopping theft. The OIABA participating agents also provide decals to be placed in an obvious location in the house announcing to would-be thieves that the property is iden- tified. Constable McKenzie says this would be a deterrent to thieves— particularly the professionals— because they are aware the property would not be easy to dis- pose of. To popularize the program, OPP community officers have been visiting groups since they got involved in the program last year, trying to explain its value., In OPP District No. 6, with heado quarters in Mount Forest, such activities are co-ordinated by Constable Harold Tighe. However, anyone -interested in learning more about the program may contact the OPP detach- ment's community services in. Mount Forest for the surrounding areas, Goderich for Wingham and the surrounding area, or Se- bringville for the Listowel area. The OPP officers who are trying to popularize the program haven't always met with success. In an April 1973 Operation Identification Bulletin, the or- ganization's vice president, San- ford F. Phillips, wrote: "OPP Inspector Fred Blutcher advises that his ,detachments around the province are promot- ing Operation Identification prac- tically every day. "However, he says they are running into some embarrass- ment in many communities be- cause the agents are not yet participating." • He went on to say that often when officers talk to groups and show a slide film, members of the audience ask them where they can borrow an engraving pencil. "In many cases," Mr. ,Phillips wrote, "the OPP officer is not • able to provide the name of an agent, or a member of the local OIABA." Constable • McKenzie claimed that participation on a large scale Ethiopian worker is needed if the program is to prove a success. There is evidence that when people participate in the program, the rate of thefts does go down. When., the OIABA launched the prografii in 1971 after studying it for two years, Mr. Phillips said that the program was very suc- cessful in the town where it origi- nated. He did not identify the town. However, Richard Carruth- ers of Owen Sound said it was "somewhere in California." In any•case, Mr. Phillips at the time said that between 1963 and 1970, the burglary rate dropped 30 per cent in one month. And during those seven years, only three of 4,000 homes marked with "Operation Identification" warn- ings were burglarized. In Ottawa last March, the police and the insurance agents conducted a large campaign during, Police Week. Agents or- dered 40,000 mail stuffers to be mailed to city residents vvitIrtheir tax statements. Also ordered were 300 posters to be placed in banks throughout the city and.,25 engravers for use by the police and a large quantity • of decals. Agents .and their staff also manned the booths at Ottawa Coliseum where a display told citizens about Operation Identifi- cation, handed out brochures and demonstrated the engravers. That wasn't all. A crime -in- fested section of the city was chosen as a test ground for the ef- fectiveness of the project. In a telephone interview this month, Ottawa Police Detective Sergeant Vic Rawlins said crime was cut down by 100 per cent. "There are no police calls from that section at all," he.said. Previous to the launching of Operation Identification, he said the area was known for thefts, burglaries; vandalism—the whole bit. "I can say that Ottawa has the best. Opera tion ' Identification program in North America," Sergeant Rawlins said, adding that his department would be willing St) help any police depart- ' finent. "We liave•had everyone else's mistakes, our own and the best of everybody's solutions, plus some of our own," he added. "But the program has been very effective , here." For the insurance agents, Operation Identification is main- ly a public relations affair. Mr. Phillips admitted that much in the Operation Identification's April 1974 Bulletin. "Operation Identification," he wrote, "is the best public reit*, tions vehicle that has come our way in many a year," he wrote. • On the other hand, he added, an increase in burglaries, particu- larly in urban arealg, basben factor in the increase of prenilum rates. Mr. Carruthers noted that while this may not show on an in- dividual level (your' premitma doesn't go up every time youlile a claim) it does show oil the in- creases on a provincial level. Be it as it may, it isindeed a pity that people in the area are • failing to avail themselves of A free service. The engraver can be borrowed from the police or the insurance agents for 48 hours. Many numbers and names can be written in that time. In the end,:. the job may save a lot of money. Youth travels to old kingdom Religious zeal taking church members to the four corners of the world is an old story • — bit not, for David Willis of Atwood. David, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. V. E. Willis of Atwood. was in his third year at Vancouver Bible In- stitute, B.C. when he volunteered to go to Ethiopia. As one of about 100 young volunteers in Africa, ,David expects to remain in Ethiopia until June, 1975. He will complete his studies at that time. In excerpts from letters to home, some of David's impres- sions, experiences and feelings are expressed. THE JOURNEY This excerpt is taken from a letter written en route to Ethiopia: "From Toronto we went to Montreal on to Rome. We saw the catacombs where the early Christians met and were buried; also St. Peter's Basilica which is in the Vatican, a beautiful cathe- dral with many rows of pillars surrounding a fountain in the square in front. Also went to the Colosseum where many Christ- ians were fed to the lions. "The traffic in Rome is unbe- lievable; if you see a stop sign it actually means slow down and keep your eyes open! The cars are all Fiat with the .odd Volks- wagon or Cortina. "From Rome we flew to Saudi - Arabia, a land very barren and parched looking; a breeze blow- ing hot, dry air from the rocky hills in the interior. As we refueled an Arab stood outside the 'Mane in a long white robe exactly like you would imagine with black head, band, full beard and sandals." ARRIVAL David arrived in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, and had this to say: "On our way there we had our, first experience of Ethiopian driving; they are much worse than the Italians! On the streets all animals can be found•making their way into the narrow streets to be manoevered around by furious drivers continuously lay- ing on the horn! "All the people are black, not real black as most Africans, but similar to a dark Arab with black, fuzzy hair. "In the city they try to dress as westerners, usually with a very radical combination of colors, usually acquired without notice to matching. , "It isn't an unusual sight to see young boys mucking around with only a shirt on down as far as their waist: To them the top is more important than the bot- tom!" After spending a week in the. capital city, busy with orienta- tion, David was read 9 16 travel to his destination, Dessie, a . place 9,000 feet above sea level and a day's drive away to begin his work, for the Sudan Interior Mission as a relief and rehabilita- tion worker. UP HIGH David stops just before his destination in a town, Boruweda. "Boruweda is beautiful and green, set in a valley surrounded by rounded, eroded mountains covered with grazing trails and Eucalyptus trees. The area is green because of the, rainy season, just in progress. (August and September ) . The valley looks like one out of the foothills, west of Calgary, except when you look up the mountainside you see little African huts‘with thatched roofs. "At night the rain usually comes, making music to sleep by on. the tin roofs of the houses. Occassionally one can hear a hyena — I've seen a few." About a month later David writes: • "The rainy season is almost over now, crops are almost ready to harvest. They will be ripened by the first part of the dry season October, November. The temp- erature still remains fairly cool in the evenings in the high altitudes. "Around Christmastime it often freezes around Dessie. Never any snow though. Most Ethiopians have never seen snow. Of course, it's kind of weird trying to describe it! "Ethiopia is a real land of con- trasts. By far Ethiopia is wretcli- edly poor, dirty, illiterate, a ter- ribly low standard nf living. "In a day you can see people using plows with oxen, boys with slingshots, men with spears, sheep, donkeys, mules and goats; women with water pots on their backs, mothers with babies on their backs,. mothers' breast feeding and naked tittle urchins streaking to and fro; all as it would have been in Old Testa- ment times. "Until lately huge tracts of land had been owned by the Royal Family and other wealthy landowners who have exploited the people by demanding enor- mous amounts of tax„money. "The new government has jailed many of the exploiters in- cluding Halie Selassie himself (deposed King) who has been in- criminated for not making the famine known until relief teams took up the task of offsetting the catastrophe. The military law now existing has so far been good „ and shed no blood." Moving to anqther train .4 thought David continues: . Flies are e‘crywhere; in your eyes, up your nose, in the corners of your mouth. They spread tra- choma, an eye disease that can result in blindness if not checked. "The worst insects are the fleas though „they get in your socks, up your pant legs, around your, wrists, in your bed, etc. I had about 50 bites in about three square inches of my leg. "For the first couple of months I was on water projects but now have been switched to evangel- ism and follow-up in the out- stations around Oessie. I work, very closely with an Ethiopian and we travel a lot, hike a lot, talk to people a lot. We encourage relief and rehabilitation workers, both Ethiopian and foreign." REFLECTION David writes home reflecting on his first four months stay in Africa: "I have really come to appreci- ate Canada, its freedoms, its fresh water, its government; all in direct contrast to Ethiopia. Sometimes there is quite a bit of friction between Ethiopians and foreigners. "From where this building its, a tin shack, one can look for, miles and miles out onto the Danakil Depression. We are on the eastern edge of the mountains at 7,000 feet and from here ort east- ward the land is level, low and • hot. except for some huge streaks of lava across the Danakil, right on toward the Red Sea. "The people are very primi- tive, carry sticks and spears all the time and live in typical Afri- can huts. They often have scuffles with the Danakil people who are constantly raiding for cattle and land. "The famine is fairly well over although there will he hungry mouths around for quite a while yet. The rains have been good here. "M'ost work in rehabilitation is done via Food for Work projects: people will labor for wells, springs, reforestatiOn, airstrips, reservoirs; and then are paid in grain. It keeps them from be- • coming too lazy as they wait for food distribution. "Yesterday I worked in a clinic doing dressings, etc. The nurses are about like doctors, diagnos- ing and distributing medicine. They are just Ailing mostly, just out of nursing school, yet they manage quite well. Typhus., typhoid, malaria and worms -are all fairly common. "Incidentally, I had malaria about a month ago and amoebic dystentry prior to that. But I'm doing okay now." David, who graduated from Atwood Public School and Listo- wel District \Secondary School, expects to remain in Ethiopia for a full year, .until June, 1975. Anyone who wants to contact David 'can reach him at: David V. Willis, Relief and re- habilitation worker, c -o Sudan Interior Mission, Box 70, Dessie, Ethiopia, East Africa. NOTE: While the country had previously been under Emperor Halie Selassie's rule, a Parlia- ment was established around 1958 with limited power. The deposed emperor is allowed to live in Ethiopia although he Yitilonger wields any power. Eritrea, in the northern part of Ethiopia has historically been an automonous province within the Ethiopian boundary. It has a population of over one million, people and comprises about 10 per cent 'of the land area of Ethiopia. With rebel activity against the new military government in and around Eritrea, David and his co- workers have been told that evacuation could come within a day's notice. The violence has not reached the south where David is presently working. His mother, Mrs. V. E. Willis of Atwood, said that David is in no danger at the present time. ETHIOPIAN TRAVELLER—David Willis of Atwood went off to the countryside of Ethiopia recently to help some of the inhabitants. He plans to return In June 1975 to finish his Bible College studies in Vancouver.