Criminal defence lawyer says jail is not the solution for repeat offenders, complex care is
Saanich's Shelbourne corridor has seen a spike in crime over the last three months. According to police, it started when the former Mount Tolmie Hospital was taken over by BC Housing.
"We're hearing more about break-ins, we're hearing more about just threats,” said Ryon Bateman, acting president of the Mount Tolmie Community Association.
The Saanich Police Department is pointing to a 39 per cent rise in calls for service to the area.
"What is important to keep in mind is that those are not all criminal calls,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades, spokesperson for Saanich police.
“They are mainly calls to check the welfare of individuals and/or investigate suspicious activities."
Anastasiades says there has been an increase in break-ins in the area, resulting in two arrests.
Back in August, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps sent a letter to B.C. Attorney General David Eby saying this policy of “catch and release” is not working.
Eby says in many cases jail is not the answer, complex care is the way to go. Offering people housing and mental health care can be more successful.
Criminal lawyer Michael Mulligan agrees.
"We need to deal with those complex issues,” Mulligan says. “They are complex and dealing with them is not easy or it is not inexpensive.”
He says putting someone suffering from addiction issues and mental illness in jail for a few months is only pushing the problem down the road.
"You haven't cured their mental illness, you haven't sorted out their drug addiction,” said Mulligan. “When they get back out, they are still going to be mentally ill and drug addicted."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.