To the Editor,
Re: Women’s groups oppose change in guarding, Oct. 6.
In these times when most of society is pushing for gender neutral and gender equality, councillor Diane Brennan is taking us back to the dark ages.
We have laws and procedures in effect in this country when a woman is in a holding cell, in this instance the Nanaimo RCMP detachment. There are also cameras and supervisors watching those guarding prisoners. To say we must have a female guard on duty 24 hours a day just in case a female prisoner happens to be jailed is only costing taxpayers extra money and playing to special interest groups who, to the contrary, keep saying they want to be equal.
Nanaimo is the only community in B.C. that has gender-specific guarding, therefore there are good reasons why no one else is doing it and costing taxpayers the extra $360,000 a year Nanaimoites pay. Brennan needs to stop looking for votes via every special interest group she can find and start caring about the majority of citizens who pay the majority of every tax dollar she so easily loves spending.
Your story is also one-sided, not including comments from other cities and why they have decided there is no need to have female guards on duty 24 hours per day.
Carroll MurrayNanaimo