Police chief seeks longer terms for chronic thieves - Vancouver Sun

Chu proposes '30 strikes and you're out' sentencing system

Rothwell said police research had identified 379 criminals considered to be chronic offenders.
The study found that:

- The 379 chronic offenders had an average of 39 convictions each.
- A quarter of them had more than 54 convictions.
- Ten had more than 79 convictions.
- Six of the 379 offenders had more than 100 convictions.

Rothwell said the incidence of property crime in Vancouver now dwarfs that in comparable jurisdictions.

"The property crime rate in Vancouver is more than double that of Toronto and more than double that of Richmond," he said.

Chu said factors considered in sentencing should not exclude the need for public protection.

"We owe it to the people of Vancouver and the victims of every property crime in the city to protect them from criminals who have decided that ripping off is the way they want to live their lives," the police chief said.