Devolin Column
October 19, 2006

Crime Prevention a Top Priority

For decades, one of the defining features of Canada was our low crime rates. But rising levels of gun, gang and drug crime – especially in our major cities – have shown that we cannot take community safety for granted. Nor can we continue to say it is just a big city problem.

Just last month, local police shut down marijuana grow operation in Carnarvon. In that case, $3 million worth of illegal marijuana was seized and 20 suspects were arrested, some wearing body armour and carrying loaded weapons at the time

While rural Ontario is still a safe and great place to live, we must take steps to make sure it stays that way. 

Since the resumption of Parliament last month, Canada’s New Government tabled dangerous offenders’ legislation that will deal directly with serious, hardened, repeat offenders.

The intention of this legislation is to impose stricter conditions on repeat offenders to keep such criminals from offending again and again. We are working hard to ensure that those who are truly dangerous will be put in jail for an indefinite period of time.

And we will make it easier for law enforcement officers and prosecutors to seek and obtain dangerous offender designations that will result in indeterminate sentences that keep these chronic and dangerous offenders off our streets. To this end, we will:

1. Stop giving violent or sexual offenders the benefit of the doubt by instituting reverse onus on dangerous repeat sexual or violent offenders.

Up until now, the onus has been on the Crown to prove why a serious repeat sexual or violent offender should be declared a danger to society and put away indefinitely.

We believe the onus should be on offenders convicted of a third violent or sexual offence to prove why they should not be declared dangerous offenders. 

If they can’t do this, they will be put in jail for an indeterminate period of time – and they won’t be eligible for parole until 7 years have passed.

2. Put convicted criminals on a shorter leash by increasing the maximum duration of peace bonds from 12 to 24 months. (Peace bonds represent a contract of sorts between convicted criminals and the broader community.)

Peace bonds lay out acceptable conditions of behaviour for released criminals and put restrictions on their behaviour. By putting convicted criminals on a tighter leash after release, we hope to better facilitate their re-integration into the community.

3. In addition to these legislative reforms, we will adopt measures to improve how we deal with dangerous offenders.

Investments will be made in the National Flagging System, which tracks potentially dangerous offenders through inter-agency collaboration and pre-sentence reports. 

This will strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to track high risk individuals, and will ensure that they receive appropriate sentences should they re-offend.

Since taking office, Canada’s New Government has committed itself to tackling crime by tabling legislation that will:

· impose mandatory prison sentences for gun crimes;
· end house arrest for serious crimes;
· raise the Age of Protection from 14 to 16 to safeguard our children from sexual predators; and
· crack down on street racing.

Canadians from across this land have told us they want action on crime. As a government, we are listening and we are delivering.