THE FREE PRESS UP FRONT Page A3 SUNDAY, MAY 16, 1999 PHONE 564-0005 Three men plead Accounting/For abortion guilty for roles in house storming By CHERYL JAHN Free Press staff writer Three out of four ain’t bad. That's how many have pleaded guilty to scaring the daylights out of a woman in her 15 Mile Road home. Dustin Latigo Halliday. 22, Charles Edward Stephenson, 20, and Peter Walter Smith, 28. have all pleaded guilty to breaking into a 15 Mile Road home on the afternoon of February 13, with the intent to commit an indictable offence. The other accused. Dean Laurie Goulet, 21, is currently on trial for his alleged role in the incident. It is Mr. Goulet who faces the weapons-related charges after a man allegedly held a .357 magnum handgun inches from a woman's nose when they entered her home. The woman had heard noises from the other end of the house, and went to investigate. She rounded a corner to stare down the barrel of the gun. Remarkably the woman had the wherewithal to call police and give a description of the getaway car. Four men were arrested in dramatic style in a take down on First Avenue. The three who pleaded out this morning will be sentenced on Tuesday morning, while Mr. Goulet’s trial will continue on June 30. Half of RCMP auxiliary force calls it quits By MICHELLE LANG Free Press staff writer The Prince George RCMP had lost about half of its auxiliary RCMP constables by Friday's resignation deadline. Terry Deacon, president of the local auxiliary association, says 14 of the program’s 28 active members have quit. As dismal as that seems, it is a lot better than resignations from 85 percent of auxiliaries - the percentage of members Mr. Deacon expected would resign after the RCMP’s decision in February not to re-arm its auxiliaries. But Mr. Deacon hinted the RCMP may still see some more resignations, depending on the nature of the yet-to-be-revised auxiliary program. "A lot of people are waiting to see what kind of proposal the Attorney General comes up with as to what kind of duties we will have,” says Mr. Deacon. “They want to see where this program goes and make an informed deci- sion. Once you’re gone you can't come back.” Auxiliaries in Prince George, who donated over 9,000 hours a year to the program, joined volunteer constables across the province in withdrawing their volunteer services indefinitely last spring because of a decision from B.C.’s Attorney General to suspend their firearms and review their role in the policing system. The Attorney General decided in December 1998 to return the guns to auxiliaries. However, the RCMP announced in mid-February that auxiliary constables in B.C. will not carry firearms. The RCMP says the decision not to allow firearms was made because it realigns the B.C. auxiliary constables with the National Auxiliary Constable Program. B.C. auxiliaries were the only volunteers in Canada to carry firearms. The auxiliaries will now focus on community-based crime prevention programs and other public safety initiatives, says the RCMP. Auxiliaries have said they can’t protect themselves or the public without a firearm. As well, Mr. Deacon has said many auxiliaries arc more interested in the general duty work they have traditionally done than the new community policing role the RCMP is proposing. Although only half of the auxiliaries remain, the RCMP says a new training standard will be brought in by the RCMP at which point Prince George will likely recruit new auxiliaries. A few local members have resumed their volunteer duties since the February decision. They are on general duty, bike patrol and traffic control, says Mr. Deacon. “Morale is not great but it’s better than it was. They’ve had time to accept what has happened," he says. More than 50 activists lined 15th Avenue on Friday afternoon armed with quilts made of square panels, one for each abortion done at Prince George Regional Hospital since abortion was legalized 30 years ago. John McKenzie/Free Press New from BC TEL Mobility. Freedom 300 Tons of minutes. Tons of calls. 100 minutes anytime and 200 weekend minutes -with extra time just 20 cents a minute. And plenty of phones for you to choose from. Freedom 3(X) is what you’ve been waiting for. 300 minutes «2595 7ivo Locations 3641 15th Ave. 562-4856 Parkwood Place 562-4880 B informed Calling Plan price based o i 12 month contract New customer only OAC Airtome applies to local calls only and is billed by the minute Montf (y service tee. long distance charges and U ‘ LEADERS IN WIRELESS” BCTEL J* Mobility Centre s extra Annual system access fee of $48 applies Cancellation tee applies Limited time offer