B.C. premier cites 'multi-faceted' crime approach amid debate about arrests
Premier John Horgan waded into British Columbia's contentious crime debate Wednesday, saying he understands concerns in communities about violent offenders, but arresting more people won't fix the issue.
He said he agreed with Attorney General Murray Rankin, who told the legislature Tuesday that a focus on more arrests of prolific offenders to curb crime would be “futile.”
“We can't arrest our way out of this challenge,” Horgan said at a news conference at the legislature. “It's a multi-faceted problem. People who see crime and see perpetrators not dealt with aggressively, I'm frustrated by that.”
A recent government-commissioned report cited police and probation officers who said repeat offenders “are emboldened to continue offending, deteriorating community confidence in the justice system.”
Opposition BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon, who said the government had a “catch and release” approach toward repeat violent offenders, said people in B.C. feared going outside in their own communities.
“A woman followed into her apartment, thrown on the ground and assaulted,” he said Wednesday in the legislature. “A hatchet attack on the SkyTrain. A baby in a stroller attacked with a glass bottle. A woman slashed in the neck with a machete.”
Falcon said the government was “completely detached from the reality of what's taking place in communities across this province.”
But Horgan accused the Liberals of engaging in a “bumper sticker” approach to the issue.
He cited remarks by newly elected Liberal MLA Elenore Sturko, a former RCMP officer, who told a campaign event last month that police “cannot arrest our way out of these problems.”
Violent crime in B.C. is an issue of deep concern that touches every community, including the hometowns of politicians from every political party, Horgan said.
“The B.C. Liberals are in the business of slogans,” he said. “I'd like to think we've been in the business of trying to solve the problem. That's done by hard work and collaboration.”
The government is approaching crime in a “multi-faceted way,” reforming the Police Act, reviewing the prosecution service, increasing budgets for courts and introducing mental health and addictions programs, said Horgan.
A report on prolific offenders that was commissioned by the government and released last month described incidents of violent crime throughout B.C., and frustrations of law enforcement officers arresting alleged criminals only to see them back on the streets.
The report by former Vancouver deputy police chief Doug LePard and Amanda Butler, a criminologist specializing in mental health and addiction, made 28 recommendations.
The report said police enforcement, aggressive prosecution and longer sentences won't address the problem of violent crime, but also said official statistics may not provide an accurate picture of crime trends in B.C.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.