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Edmonton police claim that violent crime grew by 13 per cent between 2021 and 2022
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The Alberta government is planning to introduce a series of three new measures it claims will better keep repeat and violent offenders off the streets.
Those include the introduction of targeted prosecution units in Calgary and Edmonton to address cases involving violent crime. The measures also include changes to the bail practice protocol used by prosecutors as well as changes to the triage practice protocol that has since 2017 directed prosecutors to not try cases that were deemed to be less significant.
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Justice Minister Mickey Amery unveiled the steps at a Monday news conference alongside Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, police Chief Dale McFee and Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis.
“People should feel safe and protected when they ride the transit or go about their daily business in the downtown core,” Amery said in introducing the new measures, citing “an increasing sense that our justice system is not holding criminals properly accountable.”
“Nothing is off the table. We will do whatever is necessary.”
The changes come after Edmonton has seen a surge of violence this summer, including a fatal stabbing at Belvedere LRT station, the violent deaths of a mother and her 11-year-old child outside a southeast school, and a violent clash between two groups that prompted the first reading of the city’s riot act this century.
New measures
The use of specialized prosecution units to deal with urban crime was spelled out in Amery’s mandate letter from Premier Danielle Smith last month.
Their role was spelled out in the government’s news release which stated, “prosecutors on these teams will work with law enforcement to focus on specific issues affecting these communities, including drug houses and available social supports.”
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Amery claimed the prosecution service’s caseload was “lower than it’s been in years” and that it could handle the additional responsibility.
He is also changing the bail practice protocol — the document used by prosecutors for guidance when arguing for what bail conditions should be imposed on persons accused of a crime — that Amery claims will put a greater priority on public safety.
“Many of these individuals pose a significant risk of reoffending if they’re released on bail, significant enough to keep them off our streets while their cases are being tried.”
The government is also planning to end the triage practice protocol, a policy that directs prosecutors to focus on the most significant cases but one Amery said he “does not subscribe to.”
The plan was introduced in early 2017 as a means to deal with an increasing number of cases becoming at risk of being thrown out because they had taken too long to reach trial under timelines set out in the landmark Jordan ruling.
Former premier Jason Kenney pledged in 2019 to “shred” the protocol after hiring 50 more prosecutors.
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Sohi’s support
Sohi said he’s supportive of the new measures but that more needs to be done to address the root causes of crime and addiction.
“Everyone agrees that the status quo is not working and things must change,” he said, adding “we need to stabilize the situation.”
“We got to this crisis through decades of neglect and under-investments and it will take a long-term commitment from all of us to turn the tide.”
He said that would involve building up the social services needed to deal with those symptoms including housing, mental health and addiction.
McFee also voiced his support for the changes, citing the need for “relentless prosecution” of violent offenders.
“We know more is needed in all aspects of the social safety ecosystem, but effective policing of crime and disorder is also needed to get balance back in all our communities.”
Edmonton police claim that violent crime grew by 13 per cent between 2021 and 2022.
‘Tough on crime’ measures
The new measures are the UCP government’s latest efforts intended to get tough on crime.
It set aside $27 million in funding for 245 new sheriffs in its most recent budget, while also increasing the role of the Alberta Sheriffs Branch. The government also pledged to hire 100 new police officers, split equally between Calgary and Edmonton, while also challenging Ottawa on firearms legislation and bail reform.
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MPs are set to return to the House of Commons next week and will debate the federal bail reform legislation, Bill C-48, that would make it harder for some accused to be conditionally released while awaiting trial.
In a statement, Opposition NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir said the UCP has “no credibility” when addressing violent crime, noting prior government cuts to the justice department and the premier’s contravention of the Conflict of Interest Act relative to a then-ongoing court case.
“Combined with other UCP cuts and policies, violent crime has steadily increased along with rising rates of poverty, houselessness, addictions, and the proliferation of guns and gangs,” he stated.
“The UCP must reverse all of their cuts while investing in addressing crimes and crime prevention, stopping repeat offenders, and providing funding to address the social determinants of crime.”
mblack@postmedia.com
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