Provinces agree that changes to bail for violent offenders are needed
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Canadian justice ministers agreed that federal bail provisions often result in violent offenders being released back onto the street and it needs to change.
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Provinces agree that changes to bail for violent offenders are needed Back to video
The idea was brought forward by Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen, who has pushed the federal government on making it harder for those who use a bladed weapon and bear spray to get out on bail in recent months.
Chair of the Winnipeg police board Coun. Markus Chambers said in August that the board is in favour of any measure that would keep violent offenders off the streets.
“The board is supportive, and the service is supportive of measures that would decrease a person’s ability to get back on the street where they’ve been arrested for using or brandishing a weapon of this sort,” Chambers told the Sun.
Provinces did agree with Goertzen’s suggestions following three days of meetings last week in Nova Scotia between provincial and federal ministers of justice and public safety.
“The Manitoba government came with a clear message that too many violent offenders are being granted bail only to them victimize someone else while on bail,” Goertzen said in a news release.
“I was pleased that all provinces agreed that there needs to be changes to federal bail provisions in order to protect our communities.”
Goertzen also repeated Manitoba’s concerns about understaffing of RCMP officers in the province, which shouldn’t be dealing with a federal gun buy-back program.
“Already rural Manitobans are frustrated with the lack of RCMP officers available in communities,” Goertzen said. “We need to ensure the officers we have can focus their efforts on stopping crime, not on a federal program targeting law-abiding gun owners.”
Instead, Goertzen said the federal government should work to disrupt the flow of illegal guns across the border and the production of 3D-printed guns and ghost guns.
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