Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis and Justice Minister Mickey Amery said their government is committed to addressing people’s concerns about crime. “Obviously, public safety has been a topic not just in Alberta, not just in Calgary and Edmonton, but certainly in rural Alberta and quite frankly right throughout Canada,” said Ellis at the Friday panel at the Alberta United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting..Ellis said many people are feeling unsafe in their communities right now. To justify these feelings, he confirmed Canada is experiencing higher crime rates. This prompted him and other public safety ministers to identify Bill C-75 as the cause of rising crime. He said Bill C-75 “broke our bail system.” Repeat violent offenders were able to be let out on bail and commit more crimes. Provincial and municipal governments demanded the Canadian government reform the bail system. The Canadian government responded by introducing Bill C-48. Bill C-48 introduces reverse onus clauses for bail, where criminals have to explain why they should be let out. He said public safety was why the Alberta Sheriffs were deployed in Calgary and Edmonton. While Calgary has scaled back on the Alberta Sherrifs, he said there have been positive effects in Edmonton. What he said matters most is officer presence. When people commit crime, they should be arrested by officers. If the system lets these people and more crime is committed by them, they should be arrested again. This should happen until they stop committing crimes or leave Alberta. Amery said one example indicating the severity of the crime is a repeat violent offender on bail who stabbed three people on the streets in downtown Calgary in April. “This type of social disorder is unacceptable,” said Amery. “We hear these stories, and they tug on the heartstrings of all of us.”.While the Canadian government has to fix the bail system, he said he has responded by shoring up the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS). The ACPS has a record low vacancy rate of 3%. The justice minister went on to say criminals were being let out because of a triage practice, where those who were unlikely to be convicted had charges dropped. Since he heard from people who were offended those who had committed crimes against them were let out, he has worked to end this practice. He admitted there is a zero tolerance policy for people preying on drug addicts. He vowed to do whatever he can to ensure these criminals are taken off of the streets. What the drug addicts need is the Compassionate Intervention Act. The Compassionate Intervention Act will mandate drug addicts receive treatment when they might be incapable of understanding they need help. Ellis concluded by saying he has been telling city officials to focus on public safety. “If people do not feel safe walking down the streets, there is no business that is going to want to come and invest in your community,” he said. “You will hear me constantly shouting from the rooftops office presence.”.The Alberta government formed new units under the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams to stop gangs and illegal firearm violence in March. READ MORE: Alberta government expands police units to tackle gangs, guns“We are putting gangs on notice: illegal gun violence and crime will not be tolerated,” said Ellis. “Calgarians deserve to feel safe in their own community, and we also know that these criminals will stretch this kind of violence beyond those municipal borders.”
Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis and Justice Minister Mickey Amery said their government is committed to addressing people’s concerns about crime. “Obviously, public safety has been a topic not just in Alberta, not just in Calgary and Edmonton, but certainly in rural Alberta and quite frankly right throughout Canada,” said Ellis at the Friday panel at the Alberta United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting..Ellis said many people are feeling unsafe in their communities right now. To justify these feelings, he confirmed Canada is experiencing higher crime rates. This prompted him and other public safety ministers to identify Bill C-75 as the cause of rising crime. He said Bill C-75 “broke our bail system.” Repeat violent offenders were able to be let out on bail and commit more crimes. Provincial and municipal governments demanded the Canadian government reform the bail system. The Canadian government responded by introducing Bill C-48. Bill C-48 introduces reverse onus clauses for bail, where criminals have to explain why they should be let out. He said public safety was why the Alberta Sheriffs were deployed in Calgary and Edmonton. While Calgary has scaled back on the Alberta Sherrifs, he said there have been positive effects in Edmonton. What he said matters most is officer presence. When people commit crime, they should be arrested by officers. If the system lets these people and more crime is committed by them, they should be arrested again. This should happen until they stop committing crimes or leave Alberta. Amery said one example indicating the severity of the crime is a repeat violent offender on bail who stabbed three people on the streets in downtown Calgary in April. “This type of social disorder is unacceptable,” said Amery. “We hear these stories, and they tug on the heartstrings of all of us.”.While the Canadian government has to fix the bail system, he said he has responded by shoring up the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS). The ACPS has a record low vacancy rate of 3%. The justice minister went on to say criminals were being let out because of a triage practice, where those who were unlikely to be convicted had charges dropped. Since he heard from people who were offended those who had committed crimes against them were let out, he has worked to end this practice. He admitted there is a zero tolerance policy for people preying on drug addicts. He vowed to do whatever he can to ensure these criminals are taken off of the streets. What the drug addicts need is the Compassionate Intervention Act. The Compassionate Intervention Act will mandate drug addicts receive treatment when they might be incapable of understanding they need help. Ellis concluded by saying he has been telling city officials to focus on public safety. “If people do not feel safe walking down the streets, there is no business that is going to want to come and invest in your community,” he said. “You will hear me constantly shouting from the rooftops office presence.”.The Alberta government formed new units under the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams to stop gangs and illegal firearm violence in March. READ MORE: Alberta government expands police units to tackle gangs, guns“We are putting gangs on notice: illegal gun violence and crime will not be tolerated,” said Ellis. “Calgarians deserve to feel safe in their own community, and we also know that these criminals will stretch this kind of violence beyond those municipal borders.”
