Last week, B.C. Solicitor General Kash Heed extolled the virtues of prevention and early intervention when it comes to combatting crime.

He told a Surrey business group that among other things, “investing in youth” with keep-them-straight programs would make it harder for gangs to find replacements when the cops lock up the criminals.

But Heed was working a tough crowd. One audience member suggested B.C. should adopt a European-style law that allows “preventative detection” by arresting crooks before they can commit crimes.

As Heed pointed out, police can’t incarcerate people on merely the suspicion of wrongdoing.

Fair enough. But it’s easy to understand the frustration behind the member’s suggestion.

A couple of recent cases come to mind. One involves former B.C. Lion Josh Boden, who was released on bail last week after being charged with two counts of sexual assault. He also faces charges of resisting arrest and obstruction of a police officer.

Police took the unusual step of releasing his photo and issuing a warning that Boden “poses a safety risk to the community.”

So why was he released? Isn’t one of the functions of prison to protect the public?

Also last week, Terry Giesbrecht, a 46-year-old violent killer who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was released from a Port Coquitlam psychiatric hospital on a day pass. He didn’t return by his curfew, and a search was launched. Fortunately, he eventually came back on his own. But the question remains: Why was Giesbrecht granted an unescorted leave from a secure facility?

Prevention and rehabilitation are all well and good, and deserve to form the cornerstones of our justice system.

But when it comes to dangerous offenders who pose a serious threat to the public, most times, they’re better off behind bars.

– The Surrey Leader