Residents brought an array of questions and concerns to a town hall on crime and justice issues that explored everything from court delays to issues over mental health and homelessness and even a call to legalize drugs.
The town hall drew roughly 100 people to the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club on Thursday night for a roundtable discussion on safe streets. The session was put on by local member of Parliament Brent Rathgeber
Alongside Rathgeber on the expert panel were local criminal defence lawyer Rory Ziv, Insp. Warren Dosko, head of the St. Albert RCMP detachment, and Holly Parker, chair of St. Albert Victims’ Services.
Rathgeber said he wanted to put a panel together to talk about issues he knows are important to St. Albert.
“I think it is productive to have a panel like this with different members and different views all representing organizations that have a role in crime prevention.”
The audience posed a variety of questions, but few focused on the government’s anti-crime agenda. Instead, people raised issues about youth, addictions, homelessness and mental health.
Rathgeber said the questions surprised him. He said he also is concerned about crime’s social underpinnings, but believes there is still strong support for what the government is doing.
“I don’t think the lack of question on law and order means that people disagree with it; I just think it means they have other issues.”
Court delays were one area that drew several questions, including one from St. Albert MLA Ken Allred.
Rathgeber said the Conservatives hope lengthening sentences — ending the practice of double credit for pre-trial custody in particular — will ease backlogs in the system and reduce any incentive to delay.
Ziv said a fair court system takes time to work properly and lead to just outcomes.
“If you are asking me I am trying to be candid, by removing the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that would certainly speed things up,” Ziv said facetiously.
He cautioned such a move would solve a slow-moving courts system but it wouldn’t be good for society.
“Certainly that is one solution, to remove your rights and the rights our government has given us. That would certainly speed things up, but it would have consequences.”
In his closing remarks, Ziv said he would like to see more data that support the government’s tough-on-crime agenda.
“To put laws and policies in place simply to appease various stakeholders and court the law and order vote, I think does all of us a great disservice.”
Rathgeber said the ballot box is not driving the government’s changes to the justice system.
“It is not just pandering to the law and order vote, it is what Canadians from coast to coast to coast have told us they want us to do.”
He said Canadians deserve a system that protects them.
“Those who work hard and play by the rules deserve to feel comfortable in their own homes and [feel] safe walking down the street.”
